Barbados’ Jessica Derrell vying to be first female Caribbean wrestler at the Olympics
/ Our Today
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Barbadian wrestler Jessica Derrell departed her home country last week, setting sights on becoming the first-ever female from the Caribbean to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France.
Derrell, alongside coach Yaima Payne, is currently in the Serbian capital Belgrade on a nine-day world training camp ahead of this week’s 2023 World Wrestling Championships.
Most recently, the rugby sportswoman-turned-beach wrestler won a bronze medal in the 58kg non-Olympic category for women in the Pan American Senior Championships in May 2023 in Buenos Aires.
Derrell and her coach Payne join over 500 athletes participating in this training camp, where they will be exposed to the best trainers in the world.
She is set to compete in the 62kg division for a place in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Jessica, who made the transition to beach wrestling because both sports have similar things in common with takedowns, is the national women’s beach wrestling 60kg champion and participated in the UWW Beach Wrestling World Ranking Series.
Its first stop was in the Argentine capital in May.
According to the Barbados Wrestling Association, this camp will give Derrell the necessary tools to progress in the sport, not only at this qualifier but also for the next Olympic qualifier and the Pan American Beach Wrestling Championships in Acapulco, Mexico in March 2024.
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