The first full day of the 2023 Pan American Games took place on Saturday from Santiago, Chile, with Team Canada coming away with nine medals, including four gold medals. The four gold medals took place in the sports of swimming and mountain biking.
In men’s mountain biking, Gunnar Holmgren of Orillia, Ontario won the gold medal with a time of 1:17.59. Martin Vidaurre of Chile won the silver medal with a time of 1:18.52. Jose Gabriel Marques of Brazil won the bronze medal with a time of 1:20.13. Holmgren reached the podium by 2.72 seconds. Ulan Bastos of Brazil finished in fourth place with a time of 1:20.31.
In women’s mountain biking, Jennifer Jackson of Barrie, Ontario won the gold medal with a time of 1:20.35. Catalina Vidaurre of Chile won the silver medal with a time of 1:23.20. Raiza Goulao of Brazil won the bronze medal with a time of 1:24.57. Jackson reached the podium by 5.16 seconds. Agustina Apaza of Argentina finished in fourth place with a time of 1:25.51.
In the women’s 100 metre breaststroke, Canada won gold and silver. Rachel Nichol of Regina, Saskatchewan won the gold medal with a time of 1:07.28. Sophie Angus won the silver medal with a time of 1:07.55. Macarena Ceballos of Argentina won the bronze medal with a time of 1:07.68. Nichol reached the podium by 0.64 seconds over Stefania Gomez Hurtado of Colombia, who had a fourth place time of 1:07.92.
In the women’s 4×100 metre freestyle relay, Canada won gold as well. The Canadian team comprised of Canadian Olympic gold medalist Maggie Mac Neil of London, Ontario, Canadian Olympic bronze medalist Katerine Savard of Pont-Rouge, Quebec, Mary-Sophie Harvey of Laval, Quebec, and Brooklyn Douthwright of Riverview, New Brunswick. Mac Neil won a gold medal for Canada in the women’s 100 metre butterfly at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. Savard won the bronze medal for Canada in the women’s 4×200 metre freestyle at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Canada had a winning time on Sunday of 3:37.75. The United States won silver with a time of 3:38.42. Brazil won the bronze medal with a time of 3:39.94. Canada earned a medal by 7.15 seconds. Mexico finished in fourth place with a time of 3:44.90.
Team Canada won four more medals on Saturday. They won a silver medal in the men’s all-around team gymnastics, and bronze medals in the men’s 4×100 metre freestyle swimming, diving (Caeli McKay of Calgary, Alberta in the women’s 10 metre platform), and taekwondo (Tae Ku Park of Winnipeg, Manitoba in the men’s 68 kilograms).
Canada is fourth in the overall medal standings. The United States leads with 21 medals, while Mexico and Brazil are tied with 13 medals.