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Canada leads with 4 gold on day one of Pan Am Games

Xinhua, July 12, 2015 Adjust font size:

Canada won four gold medals on Saturday and led all countries and regions with eight total after the first day of competition in Toronto 2015 Pan American Games.

The host country won the first gold medal of the Games in the women's four-person, 500-meter kayaking event. Michelle Russell, Emilie Fournel, KC Fraser and Hannah Vaughan covered the course in St. Catharines in a time of 36.495 seconds, 1.17 seconds faster than Cuba.

Adding to the gold tally was Jacqueline Simoneau and Karine Thomas who won the synchronized swimming duet event and secured a spot in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in the process. Simoneau and Thomas helped Canada to victory in the team event as well.

A medal favorite in the men's BMX event, Tory Nyhaug proved why, claiming the gold medal before a crowd of his family and friends at Centennial Park in Etobicoke. It's the first medal for Nyhaug at a multi-sport event and will be a confidence boost ahead of next year's summer Olympics.

Canada also picked up a silver in judo and another silver and two bronze from the diving pool to bring their medal total to eight, one ahead of the United States, Mexico and Colombia, who all finished the day on seven medals.

Americans Felicia Stancil took top spot in the women's BMX, Eva Fabiam in the women's open water swim while the men won the artistic gymnastics team event.

Mexico continued its domination of the Pan Am diving competition with Pacheco, who competed at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, taking gold in the men's three-meter springboard and Espinosa, a two-times Olympic medalist, winning the women's 10 meter platform.

Colombia took two gold medals from the weightlifting while Brazil, Ecuador, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Chile also won golds on the first day.

On Sunday, medals in 12 events will be decided while automatic qualifying spots for the Rio Olympics are on offer in triathlon, shooting and equestrian. Endi