Carol Huynh


Carol Huynh is a Canadian freestyle wrestler. Huynh was the first gold medallist for Canada in women's wrestling and was the first gold medallist for Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She is also the 2010 Commonwealth Games and two time Pan American Games champion. Success was also achieved at the world championships where Huynh has totaled one silver and three bronze medals. Huynh is also an eleven time national champion.

Career

Huynh broke onto the international scene as a wrestler beginning at the World Championships in 2000 where she won bronze. She continued to build on this success at the next World Championships in 2001 where she won silver. She would have to wait four more years till she would medal again at the Worlds when she won a bronze again in 2005. Success never dropped off though, Huynh would win the title in her 48 kg weight class at the 2007 Pan American Games.
She competed in the 48 kg weight class at the 2008 Summer Olympics, winning a gold medal. This broke Canada's gold medal drought at the 2008 Games. She is the second ever female medallist for Canada in Olympic wrestling, after Tonya Verbeek, the 2004 Athens freestyle silver medallist. Huynh was the first gold medallist in women's wrestling for Canada.
Following the Olympic games she continued to perform at a top level, winning bronze at the 2010 World Championships. That same year she won the Commonwealth Games title. Huynh then won the 2011 Canadian title again for 48 kg and then successfully defended her Pan Am Games title in Guadalajara. She was named to the 2012 Summer Olympics team in London for Canada. There she won a second Olympic medal, this time a bronze in the 48 kg class.
In 2013, after retiring from competitive wrestling and being inducted to the FILA Hall of Fame, she was appointed as a chairwoman to the international wrestling federation. On December 8, 2015, Huynh was named Canada's assistant chef de mission for Rio Olympics. She was inducted into the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.

Personal

Huynh was born in British Columbia to parents who were ethnic Chinese refugees from northern Vietnam. Her father was born in China, but moved to Vietnam when he was three; her mother was born in Vietnam. They settled in the town of New Hazelton, British Columbia, after being sponsored by the local United Church. Coming from a wrestling family, where both of her sisters wrestled, she started wrestling at 15. She started studies at Simon Fraser University in 1998, then moved to the University of Calgary in 2007. Huynh married Dan Biggs, a social worker and former wrestler, in 2005. She is coached by Paul Ragusa, former National team member and Olympian, as well as Leigh Vierling, husband of former World Champion Christine Nordhagen.

Competition Record

CompetitionEventResultNotes
2012 Summer Olympics48 kg Freestyle Bronze
2011 Pan Am48 kg Freestyle Gold
2010 Commonwealth games48 kg Freestyle Gold
2008 Summer Olympics48 kg Freestyle GoldFirst Canadian to win a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
2008 Canada CupwithdrewThe Canadian women's Olympic wrestling team were slated to compete, but withdrew to rest up for the Olympics. The Canada Cup is a mandatory event in non-Olympic years.
2008 Canadian Olympic trials48 kg Freestyle 1stCarol Huynh wins a spot on the Olympic team against Erica Sharp
2007 FILA Senior World Championships48 kg Freestyle 5thCarol Huynh lost the bronze medal match 3-4, 4-1, 1-1 to Mayelis Caripa-Castillo
2007 Pan Am48 kg Freestyle Gold
2006 Canadian senior wrestling championships48 kg womenChampion
2006 CISChampion
2006 FILA Senior World Championships5th
2006 World Cup48 kg Freestyle Silver
2006 Canada Cup2nd
2006 Golden Grand Prix1st
2006 Kiev International1st
2005 Canadian senior wrestling championships48 kg womenChampion
2005 FILA Senior World Championships48 kg Freestyle Bronze
2005 Summer UniversiadeGold
World Cup 200448 kg Freestyle Bronze
2004 Canadian Olympic trials2ndCarol Huynh was an alternate for the wrestling contingent at the 2004 Olympics. She had finished second to Lyndsay Belisle. At the time, she was ranked #1 at 48 kg in NAIA and CIS rankings.
2003 Canadian senior wrestling championshipsChampion
2003 World Cup44 kgBronze
2002 Canadian senior wrestling championshipsChampion
2002 NAIA48 kg womenChampionCarol Huynh was also the tournament MVP, and came out of it ranked #1 in CIS and NAIA rankings.
2002 FILA Senior World Championships44 kg Freestyle 5th
2001 FILA Senior World Championships46 kg Freestyle Silver
2000 FILA Senior World Championships46 kg Freestyle Bronze
2000 Junior Worlds46 kg 9th
1999 Junior Worlds46 kg 7th