Lyndsay Belisle

{{short description|Canadian freestyle wrestler}}

{{Infobox sport wrestler

| name = Lyndsay Belisle

| image =

| imagesize =

| caption =

| fullname = Lyndsay Belisle

| nationality = {{CAN}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|10|1|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Hazelton, British Columbia,
Canada

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{height|m=1.50|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|48|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}

| website =

| country =

| style = Freestyle

| club = BMWC Burnaby

| coach = Mike Jones

| medaltemplates=

{{MedalSport | Women's freestyle wrestling}}

{{MedalCountry|{{CAN}}}}

{{MedalCompetition|Pan American Games}}

{{MedalSilver|2003 Santo Domingo|48 kg}}

{{MedalCompetition|World Championships}}

{{MedalSilver|2006 Guangzhou|51 kg}}

| show-medals = yes

}}

Lyndsay Belisle (born October 1, 1977, in Hazelton, British Columbia) is a retired amateur Canadian freestyle wrestler, who competed in the women's flyweight category.{{cite sports-reference|title = Lyndsay Belisle|url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/be/lyndsay-belisle-1.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418120554/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/be/lyndsay-belisle-1.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = 18 April 2020|access-date = 22 July 2014}} Considering one of the world's top female freestyle wrestlers in her decade, Belisle has claimed two silver medals each in the 48 and 51-kg division at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and at the 2006 World Wrestling Championships in Guangzhou, China, and seized an opportunity to compete for Canada at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Throughout her sporting career, Belisle trained full-time for the Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club in Burnaby, British Columbia under her personal coach Mike Jones.{{cite news|last=Dunn|first=Jeremy|title=SFU Wrestling Strong in Season Opener|url=http://www.themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=3807|work=Simon Fraser University|publisher=The Mat|date=29 October 2001|accessdate=22 July 2014}}

Belisle made sporting headlines at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where she captured a silver medal in the women's 48-kg division, losing to U.S. wrestler Patricia Miranda by a powerful pin.{{cite news|last=Fuller|first=John|title=U.S. women's freestyle wrestling team records sweep of golds in inaugural competition at the Pan American Games|url=http://www.themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=8131|work=USA Wrestling|publisher=The Mat|date=5 August 2003|accessdate=22 July 2014}}

When women's wrestling made its debut at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Belisle qualified for the Canadian squad in the inaugural 48 kg class. Earlier in the process, she outclassed Mongolia's Tsogtbazaryn Enkhjargal to snatch both the trophy and ticket from the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Madrid, Spain.{{cite news|last=Abbott|first=Gary|title=Olympic Games preview at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. in women's freestyle|url=http://www.themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=10288|work=USA Wrestling|publisher=The Mat|date=14 July 2004|accessdate=29 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728115300/http://www.themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=10288|archive-date=28 July 2014|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|title=Women wrestlers set for Athens Games debut|url=http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/sport/22-Aug-2004/women-wrestlers-set-for-athens-games-debut|publisher=Daily Times (Pakistan)|date=22 August 2004|accessdate=22 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728082348/http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/sport/22-Aug-2004/women-wrestlers-set-for-athens-games-debut|archive-date=28 July 2014|url-status=dead}} She lost two straight matches each to Japan's Chiharu Icho on technical superiority, and Germany's Brigitte Wagner by a formidable 4–3 verdict, leaving her on the bottom of the prelim pool and placing eleventh in the final standings.{{cite web|title=Wrestling: Women's Freestyle 48kg|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/wrestling/results/3532676.stm|work=Athens 2004|publisher=BBC Sport|date=15 August 2004|accessdate=30 September 2013}}{{cite news|last=Francis|first=Eric|title=Hopes pinned on Tonya Verbeek in position to medal, other team members not so fortunate|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Athletics/Games/2004/Wrestling/2004/08/23/598492.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140707073548/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Athletics/Games/2004/Wrestling/2004/08/23/598492.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 7, 2014|work=Calgary Sun|publisher=Canoe.ca|date=23 August 2004|accessdate=22 July 2014}}

At the 2006 World Wrestling Championships in Guangzhou, China, Belisle grappled her way at three kilograms heavier to pick up a silver medal in the final match against Japan's Hitomi Sakamoto in the 51-kg division.{{cite news|title=She's Sharp against old rival at nationals|url=http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=f673bfc1-b62b-42d3-95e6-552715bd725d|work=The Calgary Herald|publisher=Canada.com|date=1 April 2007|accessdate=22 July 2014}}