photo: Michael Hall, Canadian Olympic Committee
WELLAND, ON – The Toronto 2015 Pan American Games got off to a roaring start for Team Canada as the Women’s K4 500 team captured the first gold medal of the Games early Saturday morning at the Welland International Flatwater Centre. The crew of Michelle Russell (Fall River, NS), Émilie Fournel (Montréal, QC), KC Fraser (Oakville, ON), and Hannah Vaughan (Dartmouth, NS) came out of the gates to definitively win the race with a margin of 1.170 seconds. The Cuban crew finished with the silver and despite pouring it on strong in the final 200 metres of the race, the Canadians held the lead the whole way. Argentina was a close third.
For Michelle Russell there wasn’t much time to rest after the medal ceremony as she competed shortly after in the heat of the Women’s K1 500m. She finished second to Cuba’s Yusmari Mengana and advanced directly to Monday’s final.
The Men’s K4 1000m final will take place first thing Sunday morning along with several heats and semi-finals. A full line-up of tomorrow’s races can be found below.
photo: Michael Hall, Canadian Olympic Committee
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.
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For more information
Ian Miller
Communications and Marketing Officer, CanoeKayak Canada
613.314.1352
imiller@canoekayak.ca