Team Canada increased their gold medal count to 31 on Friday at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.The five gold medals came in four different sports (wrestling, rowing, sailing and swimming).
In women’s 76 kilogram freestyle wrestling, Justina Di Stasio of Burnaby, British Columbia won the gold medal. Di Stasio, who is the reigning world champion, beat Andrimar Lazaro of Venezuela 10-0 in the quarterfinals, Andrea Olaya of Colombia 9-0 in the semifinals and then Aline Ferreira of Brazil 2-1 in the gold medal match.
In rowing, Team Canada won two gold medals. In the women’s single sculls, Jessica Sevick of Strathmore, Alberta won the gold medal with a time of seven minutes, 44.51 seconds. Felice Chow of Trinidad and Tobago won the silver medal with a time of seven minutes, 46.53 seconds. Soraya Jadue of Chile won the bronze medal with a time of seven minutes, 49.89 seconds. Sevick reached the podium by 7.54 seconds over Yudeisy Rodriguez of Cuba, who was in fourth place with a time of seven minutes, 52.05 seconds.
Canada’s other gold medal in rowing came in the women’s lightweight double sculls. Kate Haber of Owen Sound, Ontario and Jaclyn Stelmaszyk of Uxbridge, Ontario placed first with a time of seven minutes, 10.35 seconds. Yoselyn Carcamo and Isidora Niemeyer of Chile won the silver medal with a time of seven minutes, 14.68 seconds. Rosana Serrano and Milena Venega of Cuba won the bronze medal with a time of seven minutes, 16.59 seconds. Haber and Stelmaszyk reached the podium by 10.06 seconds as Sonia Baluzzo and Evelyn Silvestro of Argentina were in fourth place with a time of seven minutes, 20.41 seconds.
In women’s dinghy sailing, Sarah Douglas of Burlington, Ontario won gold. She was followed by silver medalist Charlotte Rose of the United States and bronze medalist Lucia Falasca of Argentina.
In women’s swimming, Tessa Cieplucha of Toronto, Ontario won the gold medal in the women’s 400 metre individual medley with a time of 4:39.90. Virginia Bardach Martin of Argentina won the silver medal with a time of 4:41.05. Mary-Sophie Harvey of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec won the bronze medal for Canada with a time of 4:43.20. Cieplucha reached the podium by 5.39 seconds over fourth place finisher Alexandra Szekely of the United States, who had a time of 4:45.29.
Canada now has 131 medals at the 2019 Pan American Games (31 gold medals, 54 silver medals and 46 bronze medals). They are third in the overall standings behind the United States at 241 medals and Brazil at 142 medals. The medals for Di Stasio, Sevick, Haber, Stelmaszyk, Douglas and Cieplucha will give them confidence as they prepare for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
