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by | Mar 16, 2018 | Hosta

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Tayla Ford (born 2 July 1993) is a New Zealand freestyle wrestler.[2] She has competed in three Commonwealth Games, winning two bronze medals. She was the first New Zealand woman to win a Commonwealth Games medal in wrestling. In April 2024, Ford was selected for the New Zealand wrestling team for the 2024 Summer Olympics, becoming the first New Zealand woman on an Olympic wrestling team.[3]

Biography

Ford is of Waikato Tainui descent.[4] She was born in Nelson and moved with her family to Christchurch in 2000.[5] She began wrestling when she was 16 years old after being inspired by her father, who had wrestled in high school.[3]

She completed in the women's freestyle 58 kg[6] event at the 2014 Commonwealth Games where she won the bronze medal.[7] Ford also won a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

In April 2024, Ford won her pool in the under-68 kg division at the Africa / Oceania qualifier in Egypt, thus securing qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games.

Ford lives in Adelaide, Australis, where she coaches wrestling.[3] She also competes in jujutsu, and in 2022 won bronze at the Asia-Oceania regional competition.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Tayla Ford". Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Olympic Wrestling Athletes". NZOC. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "'Dream come true': Tainui's Tayla Ford first NZ woman to wrestle at Olympics". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  4. ^ Tipene-Leach, Oriini (31 July 2014). "Day 7: Update on our Māori athletes in Glasgow". Television New Zealand. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Meet wrestler Tayla Ford who juggles four jobs to chase another Commonwealth Games medal". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Disciplines". UWW. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  7. ^ Simon, Nik (31 July 2014). "Commonwealth Games: Wrestling duo scoop bronze medals". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 3 August 2014.

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