Junior ready for first senior appearance
Junior is ready to make his first foray into the senior worlds.
Brock Wrestling Club member Richard DesChatelets, Jr. will be among 20 wrestlers representing Canada at the 2022 senior world championships Sept, 10-18 in Belgrade, Serbia.
“He has wrestled junior worlds and under-23 worlds but it is a big step going up to senior worlds. He is a hard worker and we will have to see how that plays out for him,” Brock coach Dave Collie said. “He is working on the smaller details and improving his game but the senior worlds is a real tough one.”
At last year’s under-23 worlds, DesChatelets lost his first match and was eliminated.
He finished third at 97 kilograms at the national Olympic weight class trials in May after losing 6-5 to Jeremy Poirier in the semifinals. At the non-Olympic weight class trials in July, DesChatelets punched his ticket to the senior worlds by winning the 92-kilogram division. He defeated Poirier 3-2 in the semifinals and Brock teammate Ignatius Pitt by fall in the finals.
The 23-year-old Niagara Falls native is thrilled to be making his first appearance at the senior worlds.
“I have never been on the senior world stage before so I am really excited. I am very young compared to most people at this stage and I kind of like that I am one of the underdogs,” he said. “I’m looking forward to going out there to compete and show what I can do.”
He relishes his underdog status.
“I like it a lot more because I feel all the eyes aren’t on me. That puts the pressure more on my competitors and I love being the underdog. If someone underestimates me, I know that I don’t stop until the whistle blows and the match is done.”
DesChatelets isn’t just happy to be there.
“I don’t plan on going there to lose right away. I want to go as far as I can. I am not saying I am going to win but if I could make it into the top five I would be really proud of myself.”
The former Canadian junior champion is glad his father, Richard, Sr., will be there to coach him in Serbia.
“I bring him along for almost all of my major tournaments and I really like having him in my corner. He brings comfort and a lot of strategy.”
DesChatelets has been busy since winning his fourth straight Ontario University Athletics title this spring.
“I have been training as much as I possibly can. I have been doing almost two-a-days every single day. In the morning, a lot of times it is MMA but in the evening every time it is wrestling.”
Mixed martial arts is a recent interest for him.
“A lot of my teammates moved to MMA and they told me how much they loved the feeling of it. I always wanted to give it a try. My body is capable of doing both so I am just doing it.”
He is still waiting for his first MMA fight after a scheduled Aug. 19 bout fell through.
DesChatelets is thinking down the road about a future as a MMA fighter.
“Maybe after the next Olympic cycle but not right now.”
The three-time USPORTS silver medalist feels he has progressed a lot in the past year.
“I have made a lot of improvements in my offensive and defensive games. If I were to face myself from last year right now, I would beat myself pretty badly.”
The next step in his progression will be to clean up the small details.
“At this point, everyone is so talented, everyone has put in so many hours and it’s a matter of an inch on one move making such a difference, especially when it comes to leveraging a takedown.”
