Island-born wrestler Hannah Taylor wins gold at international competition in her hometown

Wrestler Hannah Taylor has now won gold for her hometown in her hometown.

Eighty-five wrestlers from across Canada, the U.S., South Korea and Jamaica took to the mat Saturday at the Canada Cup of Wrestling in Summerside.

The one-day tournament is meant to give Canadian wrestlers experience facing competition from other countries.

The 24-year-old Taylor, a two-time silver medallist at the Pan American Wrestling Championships, has participated in the event multiple times. But this is the first time she's actually competed in Summerside.

"I never got to actually compete in my hometown ... and I've been in the sport for about 10 years," she said. "So this is a pretty special event for me." 

Taylor won gold in the 57-kilogram weight class after defeating Alexandria Town of Ontario in the final.

She said she hasn't been able to participate in as many competitions as she would have liked over the past two years due to COVID-19. But that's changing with the Commonwealth Games and senior world championships just a few months ahead.

"I was lucky enough to be able to come back to Prince Edward Island and just wrestle in a basement with my boyfriend, Ligrit Sadiku, who was also a wrestler," she said. "So I got to be able to train throughout the pandemic."

Showcasing the sport

Lee MacKay, president of the board of directors at Wrestling Canada, said the tournament gave athletes a chance to feel the excitement to wrestle in front of fans once again.

"You can hear the fans in the stands and that's always good to have," he said.

Taylor said there was no pressure wrestling in front of family and friends.

"People might think because it's my hometown I really need to win. But I just want to showcase the sport of wrestling, a sport that has given me so much," she said. 

"To be able to just wrestle in front of my family is pretty cool because, win or lose, I still get to showcase my talent and showcase the sport and just have fun."