Calgarians Boost Canada’s Medal Totals at Pan Am Games

Canada is coming off a strong showing at the 2023 Pan American Games and Calgary-area athletes were a major part of the success.

The Canadian contingent racked up at total of 164 medals – third behind only the United States and Brazil – and 46 gold medals, which was the fourth-best result.

Here’s a breakdown of the medal contributions of Calgary-area athletes at the Pan Am Games, which took place from Oct. 20th to Nov. 5th in Santiago, Chile.

MULTIPLE MEDALISTS

Calgarians Kendra Hartley and Shaye de Paiva – along with Airdrie’s Olivia McMurray – were part of a coxed eight, women’s rowing team that took home gold medals. McMurray also won silver in the coxless pair, women’s rowing category, while Hartley and de Paiva picked up bronze medals in women’s quadruple sculls. De Paiva also won bronze in women’s double sculls rowing.
Finlay Knox, of Okotoks, had a gold-medal finish in the men’s 200-metre individual swimming medley. He also won bronze medals in the men’s four-by-100-metre freestyle relay, the men’s four-by-100-metre medley relay, the mixed four-by-100-metre freestyle relay, and the men’s four-by-200-metre freestyle relay.
Innisfail’s Dorien Llewellyn captured gold in the men’s overall water ski, as well as silver medals in the water ski jumps and water ski tricks events.
Caeli McKay, of Calgary, and Kate Miller, of Ottawa, took home silver medals in the women’s 10-metre synchro diving competition. McKay also captured bronze in the women’s 10-metre platform diving event.
Rachel Nicol, of Lethbridge, was tops in the 100-metre breaststroke. She also won gold in the women’s four-by-100-metre medley relay.
Coby Iwaasa (Lethbridge) andSamuel Murray (Quebec) finished second in men’s doubles in racquetball. They also won silver in the men’s team racquetball event.
Calgarian Stephen Calkins picked up bronze medals for his swimming in the men’s four-by-100-metre freestyle relay and the mixed four-by-100-metre freestyle relay.

SILVER MEDALS

Canada’s 55 silver medals were the third-highest total, behind the U.S. and Brazil. Here’s a review of the Calgary and area second-place finishers:

Calgary’s Rae Lekness was part of a Canadianwomen’s water polo team that captured silver in Santiago.
The silver-medal winning rugby sevens women’s squad included Calgarian Piper Logan.
Calgary-born Rylan Wiens won silver in the men’s 10-metre synchro diving event alongside Quebec’s Nathan Zsombor-Murray.
Molly Simpson, of Red Deer, took the second spot on the podium in women’s BMX cycling.
Lethbridge-born Isabelle Harris claimed silver in the women’s judo, 63-kilogram category.

BRONZE MEDALS

With 63 bronze medals won in Chile, Canada finished third behind the U.S. and Brazil. These southern Albertans helped contribute in that area:

Calgarian Sarah Orban picked up a bronze medal in the women’s cycling team sprint event, along with Emy Savard (Saguenay, Quebec) and Jackie Boyle (Toronto).
In the women’s modern pentathlon relay, Calgarian Kelly Fitzsimmons teamed up with Vancouver’s Devan Wiebe to finish third.
Graeme Schnell, of Calgary, was part of a men’s squash team that captured bronze.
Morgan Rackell (Calgary) and her women’s softball teammates also won bronze medals.
In rugby sevens men’s play, Thomas Isherwood, of Okotoks, was a bronze winner.

The 2023 Parapan Games happen later this month in Santiago, Chile, with competition taking place between Nov. 17-26.