(Santiago Du Chile) SANTIAGO DE CHILE, Chile-Canada continued its fine medal haul at the Pan American Games thanks to a big day at the pool and a record performance.
Maggie Mac Neil became the most decorated Canadian at the Pan American Games on Wednesday, winning a fifth gold medal in the pool in Santiago, Chile.
The 23-year-old Ontarian completed the butterfly portion to help the Canadian team win the 4×100-meter medley relay on the final night of swimming competitions at the Pan American Games.
Mac Neil also won gold in the 100-meter butterfly, 100-meter freestyle, 50-meter freestyle and 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
Her fifth appearance on the top step of the Pan American Games podium allows her to surpass the four gold medals of swimmer Jessica Deglau (1999), table tennis player Lijuan Geng (1995) and gymnast Ernestine Russell -Carter (1959).
Mac Neil also won silver and bronze in mixed relay events and finished her Pan American Games with seven medals, as did her teammate Mary-Sophie Harvey. They share second place for the best Canadian crop at the Pan American Games.
Gymnast Wilhelm (Willie) Weiler won eight medals (three gold, four silver and one bronze) at the 1963 Pan American Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Canadian swimmers won a total of five medals, including three gold, on the final day at the pool. The country now has 25 medals in total, 11 gold, six silver and eight bronze.
Sydney Pickrem won gold in the women’s 200 meter individual medley event while Harvey took the silver medal.
Alberta’s Finlay Knox won the gold medal in the 200-meter medley. The men’s 4×100 meter medley team won the bronze medal.
It was also a big day for the Canadian badminton squad, who swept all three doubles titles. Toronto’s Brian Yang added a gold medal in men’s singles. Canada also won the gold medal in the women’s team pursuit at the velodrome.
Quebec gymnast Félix Dolci continued his success at the Pan American Games by winning the bronze medal on the vault table. Dolci finished the Games with four medals, two gold and two bronze, including the overall men’s title. Ontario’s Ava Stewart won the bronze medal on the balance beam.
Quebec’s Alizée Brien and Alberta’s Shaye De Pavia won the bronze medal in the duet, while Canada finished with four medals in rowing, including gold in the women’s eight, on Tuesday.
In diving, Quebecers Mia Vallée and Pamela Ware won the silver medal on the three-meter springboard.
Ontario’s Shannon Westlake added bronze in the women’s 3×20 rifle event.
Canada’s champion relay team, which also included Danielle Hanus and Rachel Nichol, crossed the finish line in first place, clocking 3:58.76. The United States was second (3:59.39), followed by Colombia (4:04.73).
Earlier, Pickrem won her second gold and third medal overall at the Games, finishing first in the 200-meter medley in a Pan American record time of 2:09.04. Harvey was second in 2:11.92, followed by American Helen Noble in 2:14.19.
Knox finished the Games with five medals, one gold and four bronze, after winning the 200-meter medley in 1:58.74. American Arsenio Bustos (1:59.89) and Brazilian Leonardo Coelho (2:00.58) completed the podium.
In badminton, Nyl Yakura and Adam Dong beat Brazilians Davi Silva and Fabricio Farias 2-1 in the men’s doubles final.
Catherine Choi and Josephine Wu won the women’s doubles crown with a 2-1 victory over Americans Annie Xu and Kerry Xu.
Wu won her second gold medal when she teamed with Ty Lindeman for a 2-1 victory over Americans Jennie Gai and Vinson Chiu in the mixed doubles final.
Yang defeated independent athlete Kevin Cordon Buezo 2-0 in the men’s final, winning the tournament without losing a single match.
In track cycling, the Canadian team of Devaney Collier, Fiona Majendie, Kiara Lylyk and Ruby West beat Mexico in the final of the women’s team pursuit event.