Weekend Roundup: Canadian shot put record set and a multitude of medals at Pan American Championships
A golden start in 2022 for Aaron Brown in the 200m, a runner-up result in beach volleyball for Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes, and Team Gushue says goodbye on a high note.
There was a lot of success enjoyed by Canadian athletes in action this past weekend. Here’s the full rundown on what you might have missed.
Athletics: Brown golden in Kenya, Mitton shatters Canadian shot put record 🇨🇦
Two-time Olympic medallist Aaron Brown showed great form in his first 200m race of the season. He blazed to the victory in 20.05 seconds at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, a stop of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series. That is Brown’s fastest ever time in a season-opening 200m.
Back at home, Sarah Mitton claimed the Canadian record in women’s shot put. Her throw of 19.58 metres at the Golden Horseshoe Prep Meet in Hamilton bested Brittany Crew’s former national mark of 19.28 metres by nearly a foot.
Artistic Swimming: Wonderful in the water 💦
Team Canada took home five medals during the FINA Artistic Swimming World Series Leg 4, held virtually.
Audrey Lamothe had a standout solo performance, taking home gold in the women’s solo free event and silver in the women solo technical event.
Canada also claimed gold in the women’s team free event, to go with silver in the women’s team technical event. Canada also won silver in the mixed team highlight event.
Taekwondo: Canada captures eight medals at Pan Am Champs🥋
Team Canada taekwondo athletes claimed eight medals at the Pan American Championships in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Canada’s lone gold medal came courtesy of Skylar Park in the women’s 57kg. Viviane Tranquille won silver in the women’s 49kg, while Hervan Nkogho claimed silver in the men’s 68kg. Five bronze medals were won by Melissa Pagnotta (women’s 67kg), Nicholas Hoefling (men’s 54kg), Braven Park (men’s 63kg), Tae Ku Park (men’s 74kg), and Jordan Stewart (men’s 87kg).
Wrestling: Godinez stuns as Canada earns 11 medals in Mexico 🇲🇽
It was a similarly big medal haul for Canadians at the Pan American Wrestling Championships in Acapulco, Mexico
The biggest surprise of the event perhaps came from Canada’s Karla Godinez who won gold in the women’s 55kg in her first trip to the senior Pan Am Championships. Godinez, who was born in Mexico before immigrating to Surrey, B.C. with her family, upset reigning U23 world champion Lucia Yepez Guzman of Ecuador and 2019 senior world champion Jacarra Winchester of the United States en route to the victory.
Team Canada also got gold medals from the younger Godinez sister, Ana, who is the reigning women’s U23 world champion at 62kg, as well as Laurence Beauregard (women’s 59kg), Emmanuel Olapade (men’s 70kg), and Amar Dhesi (men’s 125kg). There were also four silver medals and two bronze medals as Canada finished second overall as a team in the women’s events and in the men’s freestyle events.
Beach Volleyball: Humana-Paredes and Pavan place second in Austin ⛱
Melissa Humana-Paredes‘ and Sarah Pavan finished as the runners-up of the Austin Open AVP Pro Series event.
After winning their first four matches in the 16-team tournament, the No. 1 seeds from Canada were upset by sixth-seeded Americans Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss in the final by a score of 21-18, 21-13.
READ: Humana-Paredes and Pavan place second in Austin Open
Curling: Team Gushue wins final event together
Team Gushue defeated Team Koe 8-5 in the final of the Champions Cup in Olds, Alberta, the last event on this season’s curling calendar. It is the 13th career Grand Slam of Curling title for skip Brad Gushue, capping off an incredible season that included the Olympic bronze medal and a world championship silver. After eight years together, it was the last tournament for the foursome of Gushue, Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant and Geoff Walker. It was already announced that Gallant will be moving to Alberta next season to join a new team skipped by Brendan Bottcher.
Team Einarson, which has decided to remain together for next season, won the women’s title in Olds, finishing a season that included their third straight national title as well as a world championship bronze medal.
Tennis: Dabrowski and doubles partner finish on top in Madrid 🎾
Gabriela Dabrowski captured her first doubles title of the year with her partner, Mexicos Giuliana Olmos, at the Madrid Open on Saturday. It is the 11th career WTA doubles title for Dabrowski, but her first in Madrid where she has been a finalist twice before.
At the WTA 1000 clay court warm-up event for the French Open, Dabrowksi and Olmos were seeded second. They defeated third seeds Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands and Desirae Krawcyk of the U.S. in a thrilling 7-6(1), 5-7, 10-7 final.
Meanwhile, Felix Auger-Aliassime reached the quarterfinals in the men’s singles draw. After cruising to straight set wins in his first two matches, he was bested by Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-5.
Golf: A Sunday to remember at Wells Fargo ⛳️
Mackenzie Hughes climbed up to ninth place on the leaderboard at the Wells Fargo Championship thanks to a 67 on Sunday — tied for the third lowest score of the final round.
Hughes shot a 66 in the opening round and despite some uneven play over the next two days, managed to move up 15 spots on the final day into the top 10. He finished the tournament at 2-under par.
