Americas Battle for Gold in PanAm Games

TORONTO, July 18 The United States in addition lifted Canada from first place throughout the Pan American Games trophy tables on any hot Saturday which typically saw baking circumstances and warm activities.

Canada’s women’s basketball team will play for gold at the Pan American Games after thoroughly dismantling Brazil 91-63 on Sunday.

Shortly after Overholt’s win, Victoria’s Ryan Cochrane cruised to gold in the men’s 400 freestyle by a margin of over a second.

Canada dominated the track cycling events, winning six gold, two silver and two bronze.

After a slow start, the United States topped all countries 32 medals, including a dozen gold.

Meanwhile, four athletes – three baseball players and a weightlifter – have been thrown out of the Pan Am Games for doping infractions but not the swimmer whose banishment would benefit Canada’s medal total.

Three USA golds came in canoe slalom, with Casey Eichfeld claiming two of them, before Marilyn Little secured individual and team honours in three day eventing, leading the team to Rio 2016 Olympic qualification.

“I sang “O Canada” both times fairly loudly”, Cochrane said.

If Canada’s undefeated record is a surprise to anyone, it isn’t to this group of talented women that finished fifth in last year’s world championships.

“We wanted to bring a swagger back to Canada and I think we’ve done that”, Canada coach John Stuart said, adding it was particularly satisfying to win gold on home soil.

Nirra Fields added 12 for the Canadians, who went a flawless 3-0 through the preliminary round.

“Medal-loaded hosts halfway home, ” read the headline in Saturday’s Toronto Star.

Not to be outdone by their male counterpart, Monique Sullivan and Kate O’Brien looked incredible, too, as they took their quarter final match ups in the women’s sprint.

Calgary’s Haley Daniels holds up her bronze medal in Canoe C1 during Pan Am Games on Sunday.

It really isn’t clear what happened to the ball between the point where it got away from the first baseman to the catcher receiving it. Thankfully, Melissa Couto from The Canadian Press was in attendance.

With temperatures again nudging into the mid-30s Celsius (95 Fahrenheit), Canada got the day off to a sizzling start with Evan Dunfee winning the men’s 20km race walk ahead of compatriot Inaki Gomez while Mexico’s Maria Gonzalez took the women’s title.

LOCAL NOTES … Drayton Valley’s Shane Dawson captured a gold medal as part of Team Canada’s baseball squad which beat the United States 7-6 in 10 innings …