Hola readers, and welcome to the first of two *special* edition Benchwarmer Reports on the Toronto 2015 Pan-Am Games!!!! There is a lot to look forward to over the next couple of weeks, and Canada has many exciting athletes worth watching, so let’s get into it.
For those unfamiliar with Pan-Am, like the Summer Olympics the Pan-Am games will feature pretty much every sport that isn’t traditionally played in the winter. I would encourage you to catch some of the more “exotic” events that we so rarely get to enjoy such as paddle sports (canoe, kayak and rowing, various varieties), equestrian, sailing, beach volleyball, fencing, triathlon, handball, waterpolo, rugby sevens, judo, taekwondo and yes, you are about to read this correctly, roller sports (includes figure skating and speed skating on wheels).
There are also a lot of more traditional sports that should be fantastic to watch such as soccer, swimming, tennis, and athletics (track and field). A complete daily schedule and results can be found at http://www.toronto2015.org/ and cbc.ca has live coverage of all events, as well as highlights in case you missed something. With that out of the way, let’s take a look at some key Canadian athletes heading into these Games.
First, and many would say foremost, you’ve definitely heard of this one: Adam van Koeverden (Kayak). At 33 years of age, he already owns four Olympic medals, one gold and one bronze in Athens (2004), along with two silver, in Beijing (2008) and London (2012). He is the most experienced kayaker in the water at these Games, and it’s expected that it will show. Predictions have Adam on the podium—watch it July 18 and 19.
Next up is the next-generation Canadian Women’s Soccer team. After a merely satisfactory showing at the FIFA Women’s World Cup (they lost a disappointing one to England in the quarters), it’s time to find out who the next Christine Sinclair, et. al. will be. Led by emerging star and World Cup Young Player Award Winner, Kadeisha Buchanan, the team features Canada’s future in the sport. Canada is the defending Pan-Am champion, and is looking to get back to where they left off, with four players counting caps on the Senior Squad, as well as many returnees from U20- and U17-groups. Catch all matches live on Sportsnet throughout the Games.
Canada are defending champions in two other teams: men’s baseball and men’s rugby (sevens). The baseball squad for this year, largely filled with minor-league pro players, includes eight 2011 gold medallists. Four of the pitchers, Jeff Francis, Shawn Hill, Jeff Richmond, and Andrew Albers are current or former members of the Blue Jays system. The rugby team includes five returnees from 2011, including captain John Moonlight and Sean Duke, both of whom have scored over 100 career tries in seven-a-side rugby.
Michele Li (defending a 2011 Pan-Am gold) is the #1 seed this time around in women’s badminton. In women’s squash, watch for Sam Cornett, who won a team-event gold and a singles silver in 2011.
In gymnastics, Ellie Black, a former World Cup and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, will be competing in the women’s events (the vault and balance beam are her specialties). In men’s trampoline, 2007 Pan-Am winner Jason Burnett and 2011 Pan-Am winner Keegan Soehn are returning to seek a second gold. Rosie Maclennan (2012 Olympic gold) and Karen Cockburn (silver at 2004 and 2008 Olympics) will represent Canada in women’s trampoline. Trampoline finals will take place on July 19.
On the diving platform, London 2012 bronze medalist Jennifer Abel returns with new partner Pamela Ware. Ranked 2nd in the world in synchronized diving, and top-3 finishers in their last five international competitions, the pair are expected to have a podium showing at this year’s Pan-Am’s. This event will happen before this article is published, but go watch the highlights if you haven’t heard about what happened already!
Also in the pool, London 2012 silver medalist Ryan Cochrane is in the hunt for gold in the 1,500 m freestyle (hardly a race for the faint of heart). Looking to build some momentum heading into the Worlds next month, this is a good opportunity to watch Canada’s front-running swimmer before the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Catch this one July 18th before kayaking.
Besides these major stories, there will undoubtedly be exciting developments throughout the Games. Medals will be won, records will be broken and the next generation of elite athletes will emerge. Right here, right now. Enjoy the Games—they’ll be done before you know it.
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