Team Canada won four gold medals on Monday at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.They came in the sports of diving, table tennis and trampoline.
In diving, Canadian Olympic bronze medalist Jennifer Abel of Montreal, Quebec won the gold medal in the women’s three metre springboard diving competition. For Abel, it was her third career gold medal at the Pan American Games as she also won the gold medal in the women’s three metre springboard at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto and the gold medal with Pamela Ware of Greenfield Park, Quebec in the women’s three metre synchronized springboard competition at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima.
In the women’s three metre springboard diving competition in Lima, Abel won the gold medal with 374.25 points. Dolores Hernandez of Mexico won the silver medal with 339.6 points. Brooke Schultz of the United States won the bronze medal with 334.85 points. Abel earned a medal by 43.65 points over Ware, who was in fourth place with 330.6 points.
In table tennis, Eugene Wang of Ottawa, Ontario and Mo Zhang of Vancouver, British Columbia won the gold medal in mixed doubles. Wang and Zhang beat Julian Ramos and Paul Medina of Colombia 11-2, 11-4, 11-7, 16-14 in the first round, then Jorge Campos and Daniela Fonseca of Cuba 11-4, 11-4, 11-5, 11-3 in the quarterfinals, Kanak Jha and Jennifer Wu of the United States 11-9, 9-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-6 in the semifinals and then Gustavo Tsuboi and Bruna Takahashi of Brazil 12-10, 15-13, 6-11, 11-7, 12-10 in the gold medal match. Brian Afanador and Adriana Diaz of Puerto Rico won the other bronze medal.
In trampoline, Canada won the gold medal in men’s and women’s action. In men’s trampoline, Jeremy Chartier of Montreal, Quebec won the gold medal with 57.44 points. Jeffrey Gluckstein of the United States won the silver medal with 57.29 points. Ruben Padilla of the United States with 57.16 points. Chartier earned a medal by 0.315 points over fourth place finisher Angel Hernandez of Colombia, who had 57.125 points.
In women’s trampoline, Samantha Smith of Toronto, Ontario won the gold medal with 53.735 points. Nicole Ahsinger of the United States won the silver medal with 52.54 points. Dafne Navarro Loza of Mexico won the bronze medal with 52.51 points. Smith earned a medal by 1.615 points over Jessica Stevens of the United States, who was in fourth place with 52.12 points.
The medals for Abel. Wang, Zhang, Smith and Chartier will give them confidence as they prepare for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.At the 2019 Pan American Games, Canada has 23 gold medals, 38 silver medals and 27 bronze medals for 88 medals overall. They are second overall behind the United States with 141 medals.
