According to Myles Dichter of CBC Sports on Wednesday, Canadian Olympic gold medalist Christine Girard of Elliot Lake, Ontario has been named the Canadian Chef de Mission for the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. The multi-sport event will take place from October 20 to November 5, 2023.
This is the second straight Pan American Games that are taking place in South America. The 2019 Pan American Games took place in Lima, Peru. Canada finished in third place in the overall medal standings behind the United States and Brazil. The United States led the way with 293 medals (122 gold medals, 87 silver medals and 84 bronze medals). Brazil was in second place with 169 medals (54 gold medals, 45 silver medals, and 70 bronze medals). Canada meanwhile had 152 medals (35 gold medals, 65 silver medals and 52 bronze medals).
Girard won the gold medal for Canada at the 2012 Olympic Games in London in the women’s 63 kilogram division. She also won a bronze medal for Canada at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. At the Pan American Games, Girard won the gold medal at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico and a silver medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Of Canada’s 152 medals from the 2019 Pan American Games, one medal came in weightlifting. Boady Santavy of Sarnia, Ontario won the silver medal in the men’s 96 kilogram division.
