The 2023 Pan American Games meant different things to the almost 500 athletes competing for Canada.
Winning medals, qualifying for next summerB次元官网网址檚 Olympics, competing for the first time in a multi-sport Games, competing for the first time in that environment without COVID-19 restrictions and getting in a dress rehearsal for the Paris Games were among the CanadiansB次元官网网址� many goals and objectives in Santiago, Chile.
For those athletes competing in non-Olympic sports, the Pan Am Games were their international multi-sport pinnacle.
B次元官网网址淓verybody comes with different goals in mind,B次元官网网址� CanadaB次元官网网址檚 chef de mission Christine Girard said Sunday. B次元官网网址淚 think they all came to get what they needed from these Games.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of athletes I feel, are really satisfied, but thereB次元官网网址檚 no common denominator here in the sense that the goal varies quite a bit.B次元官网网址�
What that added up to was CanadaB次元官网网址檚 164 medals, including 46 gold, to surpass the 152 and 35 of four years ago in Lima, Peru.
But CanadaB次元官网网址檚 ranking of third in the overall and fourth in gold in the medal table didnB次元官网网址檛 change among 41 countries from the Americas and Caribbean.
The United States continued its customary Pan Am Games dominance with 286 medals, including 124 gold. Brazil ranked second with 205 and 66. Mexico finished ahead of Canada in the gold-medal count with 52.
B次元官网网址淥n the field of play for the athletes, we see results, medal results, qualification for Paris,B次元官网网址� Canadian Olympic Committee chief sport officer Eric Myles said. B次元官网网址淭here hasnB次元官网网址檛 been that many big disappointments. A few tough or tight races or lost games, but globally I feel weB次元官网网址檙e in a real good place.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a challenging environment for different reasons. ItB次元官网网址檚 re-creating the pressure of delivering at the moment, delivering in challenging conditions sometimes. All of thatB次元官网网址檚 been tested on different fronts. If it was easy, weB次元官网网址檇 be up there with the States.B次元官网网址�
Santiago was also a chance for the COCB次元官网网址檚 mission staff to fine-tune on-the-ground operations for Paris, Myles said.
Canadians collected five medals on SundayB次元官网网址檚 final day of competition.
Regina native Nicole Todd, Hollie Naughton of Mississauga, Ont., and VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Nicole Bunyan were silver medallists in womenB次元官网网址檚 team squash. Simeon Martin, Edward Ly - both from Montreal - and Eugene Wang of Aurora, Ont., claimed silver in menB次元官网网址檚 team table tennis. WinnipegB次元官网网址檚 Mitch Hupe took silver in menB次元官网网址檚 singles bowling.
Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., was a bronze medallist in womenB次元官网网址檚 golf, while Melissa Bratic of Mississauga, Ont., also earned bronze in karateB次元官网网址檚 68-kilogram division.
The top countries, including Canada, didnB次元官网网址檛 send all of their top teams and athletes to Santiago in part because the awkward timing at the end of October and beginning of November, which is South AmericaB次元官网网址檚 summer. As Myles put it, B次元官网网址渋tB次元官网网址檚 not easy to go fast in November.B次元官网网址�
But for paddler Katie Vincent, who won C2 gold with Sloan MacKenzie, the Pan Ams were a quality measuring stick because of the strength of field in sprint canoe.
B次元官网网址淲hether itB次元官网网址檚 me, America, Cuba, Chile, the competition is very high for us,B次元官网网址� Vincent said. B次元官网网址淜nowing how much it means to the South Americans as well and how big of a deal it is for a lot of those countries, it made the competition definitely pretty fierce and fired up.
B次元官网网址淓ven though itB次元官网网址檚 in a bit more of our off-season, we had a really good test to see where weB次元官网网址檙e at against some of the best in the world.
The 27-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., and Vancouver breaker Phil (Wizard) Kim were named CanadaB次元官网网址檚 flag-bearers for SundayB次元官网网址檚 closing ceremonies.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been proud to be a Canadian kind of my whole life and it felt like a moment of B次元官网网址極h, Canada is proud of me too,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� Kim said.
The 26-year-old from Vancouver claimed the first Pan Am gold awarded in menB次元官网网址檚 breaking. He was among CanadaB次元官网网址檚 athletes for whom Santiago represented a direct trip to the Olympic Games in less than nine months.
Kim, surfer Sanoa Dempfle-Olin of Tofino, B.C., and boxers Tammara Thibeault of Shawinigan, Que., and Wyatt Sharpe of Kennetcook, N.S., were handed the coveted gold and white souvenir tickets to Paris after their events.
Another 19 athletes qualified Canada to compete in Paris in equestrian team dressage, eventing and show jumping as well as three sailing classes and two shooting divisions.
Maggie Mac Neil of London, Ont., emerged from the pool with a chest plate of medals B次元官网网址� a Canadian-record five gold and seven in total.
SheB次元官网网址檚 an Olympic butterfly champion, but wanted to swim in Santiago to get a feel for a B次元官网网址渘ormalB次元官网网址� Games after the pandemic restrictions of TokyoB次元官网网址檚 Olympic Games.
B次元官网网址淭his is like a mini-Olympics,B次元官网网址� said Sarah Mitton, who won shot put gold in Santiago. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of different factors that come with a multi-sport compared to just a plain old world championships.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of heightened emotions, thereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of extra noise. ItB次元官网网址檚 really nice to be able to learn how to manage yourself better in those situations. ThereB次元官网网址檚 media, thereB次元官网网址檚 press and the meal hall is just a little bit crazier.B次元官网网址�
Toronto skateboarder Fay De Fazio Ebert, 13, got her first taste of a multi-sport Games in Santiago and was victorious.
For middle-distance runner Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, who dived and tumbled at the finish line for his electric victory in the menB次元官网网址檚 1,500, the Pan Am Games were B次元官网网址渁ll about racing, getting the win.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淢oving through the peloton, making the right moves, finishing strong are all attributes that you need at worlds, in the Olympics to go through rounds and eventually make the final,B次元官网网址� explained the 32-year-old from Quebec City. B次元官网网址淪o this is like an amazing practice for me.
B次元官网网址淚 do think itB次元官网网址檚 really important to come here and compete and be competitive.B次元官网网址�
Canadians will compete in the Parapan American Games for para athletes Nov. 17-26 in Santiago.
The 2027 Pan American and Parapan American Games are scheduled to be held in Barranquilla, Colombia.
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