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Lee reaches junior worlds quarterfinals

Lee finishes 13th in international 18-to-20 age group
lee podium
Hunter Lee stands on the podium at Canada Nationals in 2017. - FILE PHOTO

Hunter Lee has added another international finish to his resume.

The Flin Flon wrestler, currently a part of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies wrestling team, headed to Trnava, Slovakia to join Team Canada at the United World Wrestling (UWW) Junior World Championships on Sept. 22. It was the first time Lee, 18, took part in a world championship at the junior age level, which includes 18 to 20-year-old combatants.

Taking part in the 92-kilogram freestyle division, Lee received a bye past the qualification round, heading directly into the round of 16. In his first match, Lee faced Matous Vondal of the Czech Republic, who he defeated easily, winning 10-1 on points.

That win took Lee into the quarterfinals, where he faced one of the wrestlers anticipated to be a medal threat heading into the event - Uzbekistan’s Makhsud Veysalov. Lee put up a good fight, but lost to Veysalov in under two minutes.

The loss put Lee out of the top end of the tournament bracket and also out of the repechage round. After travelling more than 7,000 kilometres away from home, Lee’s final placing at the world championship was determined by other wrestlers’ results.

When the dust had cleared, Lee finished in thirteenth place. As an 18-year-old wrestler, Lee is eligible to return for next year’s Junior World Championship and for the event in 2020.

There won’t be much time for Lee to bask in his triumph – the U Sports national wrestling season is about to get underway. The Huskies will take part in their first tournament of the year, the Dino Invitational, on Oct. 27 at the University of Calgary.

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