Canadian roundup: teams take centre stage on eventful weekend
Feature photo: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour
Team sports took centre stage over the weekend with Olympic and World Cup qualifications on the minds of many athletes, but as always, Team Canada wasn’t starved for individual accolades either.
Rugby
Read: Women’s sevens take historic victory, Olympic spot
Canada women’s team won its first Rugby World Sevens Series on Saturday, a day after it secured qualification for the inaugural Olympic women’s tournament in Amsterdam. Canada also finished second overall in the series this season, two points ahead of Australia after winning the Amsterdam Sevens final 20-17.
Magali Harvey breaks away against France at the Amsterdam Sevens on May 23, 2015 (Photo: Ron LeBlanc/Rugby Canada).
Volleyball
Read: Volleyball men win Champions Cup, qualify for World Cup
After winning a spot at the 2015 FIVB Volleyball World Cup in Japan this September, Canada went one step farther in Detroit over the weekend, beating the higher-ranked United States and winning the Champions Cup.
Canadian men celebrate in the 2015 World League versus Cuba on May 17, 2015 in Calgary (Photo: FIVB).
On the beach, Canada was on the podium for the third straight FIVB World Tour tournament, this time Sarah Pavan and Heather Bansley won the hardware – a silver medal at the Prague Open.
Read: Pavan and Bansley strike silver in Prague
Canada’s Sarah Pavan tries to block Brazil’s Barbara Seixas at the Prague Open on May 24, 2015 (Photo: FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour).
Diving
Read: Canada ends Windsor World Series stop with four medals
Jenn Abel won the only individual medal for Canada at their home World Series stop in the FINA diving series. Canada picked up three synchro medals to go with it. The final series stop hits Mexico City on the weekend of May 29. A Pan American Games a team announcement in Toronto follows the Mexico meeting.
Jennifer Abel waves to the crowd after one of her dives at the FINA Diving World Series 2015 stop in Windsor, Ontario on May 23, 2015 (Photo: Diving Canada).
Canoe/Kayak
Read: Paddlers win nine World Cup medals in Duisburg
Mark Oldershaw and Mark De Jonge each won a bronze medal in Olympic events at Duisburg, Germany over the weekend. Canada won seven other medals in non-Olympic races. The World Cup season concludes next weekend in Copenhagen, after which paddlers prepare for the Pan American Games in July and World Championships in August.
Mark de Jonge at the ICF Sprint World Cup in Duisburg, Germany on May 24, 2015 (Photo: Balint Vekassy).
Wrestling
Read: German Grand Prix results (Wrestling.ca)
Canadian female wrestlers won four medals this weekend at the Grand Prix of Germany. Erica Wiebe won gold in the 75kg class, Jessica MacDonald took silver in 48kg, while bronze medals were won by Justina Di Stasio (75kg) and Leah Ferguson (69kg). Out of that group Di Stasio will represent Canada at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games.
Erica Wiebe celebrates her wrestling gold medal at Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
