November 6, 2023
Photo Credit: Diego Alvujar/Santiago 2023 via Photosport
The Closing Ceremony took place on November 5, marking the conclusion of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. Canoeist Katie Vincent and breakdancer Phil Kim (aka Phil Wizard) were named Team Canada’s ceremony flag bearers.
Athletes with ties to Saskatchewan earned 14 medals at the Games, including one gold, seven silver and six bronze, contributing to Canada’s overall total of 164 (46 gold, 55 silver and 63 bronze).
Here’s how Saskatchewan athletes did the final days of the Games on Saturday, Nov. 4 and Sunday, Nov. 5:
Nikole Todd, Squash, Women’s Doubles & Team
Over the weekend, Todd, who was born in Regina competed with the Canadian women’s team, defeating Colombia 3-0 on Saturday in the semifinals before falling 2-0 in the championship game on Sunday to the United States. Canada finished with a silver medal.
Earlier in the Games, Todd paired up to compete in women’s doubles but lost in the quarterfinals to finish fifth overall.
Carissa Norsten, Women’s Rugby 7s
Waldheim’s Carissa Norsten and the Canadian squad went undefeated through preliminary round play, as well as the semifinals on Saturday, which they won 45-14 over Colombia. The team’s one and only loss of the Games came in the final match against the United States, also on Saturday, where they fell 19-12 to finish with silver.
Blaire McDowell, Women’s Water Polo
Regina’s McDowell is coming home with a silver medal after she and Team Canada went undefeated through preliminary, quarterfinal and semifinal play, but fell 20-11 to the United States in the gold-medal game on Saturday.
Brody McKnight, Men’s Water Polo
After narrowly being defeated by Brazil 13-12 in Friday’s semifinals, McKnight, who hails from Regina, and the Canadian squad played Argentina in the bronze-medal final on Saturday, losing 12-10 to finish in fourth.
Hunter Lee, Men’s Freestyle Wrestling, 86-kilogram
Lee, who trains out of Saskatoon with the Saskatoon Wrestling Club, was announced as an addition to the Canadian wrestling roster on Oct. 27, after the Games had already commenced.
However, Lee took advantage of the event, claiming a bronze medal by defeating Puerto Rico’s Adrian Ramas 14-4 on Thursday.
And here’s a recap of what happened for Saskatchewan athletes earlier in the Games:
Tammara Thibeault, Women’s Boxing, 75-kilogram
Thibeault, who started boxing in Regina as a child, had multiple reasons to celebrate at the Games as she won a gold medal by defeating Atheyna Bylon and also qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Blake Tierney, Swimming
Saskatoon’s Tierney was the most decorated Saskatchewan athlete at the Games, picking up five medals, including one silver and four bronze.
-Silver in Mixed 4×100-metre Medley Relay*
-Bronze in Men’s 100-m Backstroke
-Bronze in Men’s 4×100-m Freestyle Relay*
-Bronze in Men’s 4×100-m Medley Relay
-Bronze in Men’s 4×200-m Freestyle Relay*
*Blake raced in the qualifying heats for these races but did not race in the finals. He still received a medal as part of the team.
Rylan Wiens, Diving, Men’s 10-metre platform
Wiens, a 2020 Olympian that hails from Pike Lake, added to his international medal collection by winning silver in the men’s 10-metre platform event with partner Nathan Zsombor-Murray.
Kelsey Wog, Swimming
Wog, who was born in Regina, raced to a silver-medal finish in the women’s 200-metre backstroke event.
Fynn Mansbridge-Fafard, Fencing, Men’s Team Epee
Mansbridge-Fafard, who was born in Regina, joined the Canadian men’s epee team at the Games and came up just short of a gold medal, losing 42-41 to the United States in the final to walk away with a silver.
Kenzie Priddell & Sydney Carroll, Artistic Swimming
Three was the magic number for Regina’s Kenzie Priddell and Saskatoon’s Syndey Carroll, as well as the rest of the Canadian team, as they finished third in their technical, free and acrobatic routine events to finish third overall and claim the bronze medal.
Ashley Leugner, Women’s Wakeboard
Following an injury in 2016 that paused her sport career, Fort Qu’Appelle’s Leugner returned to the international stage to finish fifth overall at her first Pan American Games.
Tristan Spicer-Moran, Men’s Archery, Individual & Team Compound
Prince Albert’s Spicer Moran competed in two events at the Games, losing a close match-up against El Salvador 158-153 in the team quarterfinals and narrowly being defeated 149-148 by Kris Schaff of the United States in the individual 1/8 elimination round.
Richard McBride, Men’s Skeet Shooting
In his fourth appearance at a Pan American Games, Saskatoon’s McBride finished 20th overall.
Joining the athletes at the Games were multiple Saskatchewan coaches, support and mission staff and officials.
Coaches
Lisa Borgerson – Shooting
Fort Qu’Appelle’s Borgerson, who has coached the Canadian team at two Olympic Games leant her experience once again, helping Canada win gold in men’s 10-metre air pistol and bronze in women’s 3×20 rifle.
Mission and Support Staff
Lisa Hoffart, Regina – Mission Staff, Mental Health Lead – Team Canada
Monty Churchman, Saskatoon – Mission Staff, Health Services – Team Canada
Jan Hanson, Saskatoon – Mission Staff, Media Attache – Racquetball
Graham Olson, Saskatoon – Support Staff, Race Analysis – Swimming
Officials
Kristine Lovatt, Wilcox – Women’s Rugby 7s
The multiple sport event has concluded for another four years and will return for Barranquilla 2027 Pan American Games.
Attention now turns to the Parapan American Games running Nov. 17-26 in Santiago.