de Jonge and Vincent Lapointe golden on final day of Pan Am Games

Laurence Vincent Lapointe
(photo: Michael Hall, Canadian Olympic Committee)

WELLAND, ON – The CanoeKayak Sprint team finished big at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games by winning five medals on the final day of competition on Tuesday to bring the total count to ten. Mark de Jonge of Halifax, NS captured the gold Medal in the Men’s K1 200m, while Laurence Vincent Lapointe of Trois-Rivières, QC also put down a golden race in the Women’s C1 200m.

Silver for Russell, McCoombs and a surprise bronze for Men’s K2 200

Michelle Russell of Fall River, NS won silver in the Women’s K1 200m. Yusmari Mengana of Cuba once again took the gold. Michelle Russell’s silver is her third medal of the Games including a gold in Women’s K4 500m and another silver in Women’s K1 500m. Jason McCoombs of Dartmouth, NS is taking home a silver medal in the Men’s C1 200m after battling it out with Brazilian phenom Isaquias Queiroz Dos Santos.

Mark de Jonge and Pierre-Luc Poulin of Lac Beauport, QC raced the Men’s K2 200m and came out with a tie for a bronze medal. The pair were within 0.005 seconds of the Brazilian crew and with a margin of error, the result is counted as a tie.

Michelle Russell
(photo: Michael Hall, Canadian Olympic Committee)

The Women’s K2 500m team of Émilie Fournel (Montréal, QC) and Hannah Vaughan (Dartmouth, NS) had a tight race and came fourth in photo finish.

The sprint team will now focus on their preparations for the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in August which will be the first opportunity to qualify quota spots for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Canoe Slalom events are up next at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games with competition taking place this Saturday and Sunday at the Minden Wild Water Preserve.

CanoeKayak Canada is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada. The organization’s vision is to be a Canadian sport for families, communities and champions. From supporting clubs to developing a competitive National Team, CanoeKayak Canada works to grow a sport which is a rich part of Canada’s heritage.

Results

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For more information

Ian Miller
Communications and Marketing Officer, CanoeKayak Canada
613.314.1352
imiller@canoekayak.ca