TORONTO 鈥� From Westhills Stadium to BMO Field with love. There was only one blemish Saturday as the Langford-based Canadian men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 rugby sevens teams rolled through the first day of the 2015 Pan Am Games in their quests for gold today at BMO Field on the Toronto harbour front.
There were about 5,000 fans at BMO, freshly expanded to 30,000 seats, but they sure made themselves heard when sa国际传媒 defeated Guyana 45-0 and Brazil 26-14 before losing 21-7 to 2016 Olympics-bound Argentina in men鈥檚 and beating Colombia 55-0, Mexico 60-0 and Brazil 36-0 in women鈥檚.
鈥淚 sort of knew what to expect, but being here is 10 times more exciting,鈥� said Canadian men鈥檚 player Sean White from James Bay, a graduate of Oak Bay High.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine [today] when the place gets more full [for the medal rounds]. We鈥檙e confident of getting to the final and defending the gold medal.鈥�
sa国际传媒 won gold at the 2011 Pan Am Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Another James Bay player out of Oak Bay High, the kinetic Phil Mack, was also a part of that 2011 Games gold medal.
鈥淚鈥檝e played in a ton of tournaments, and to finally play on home soil is special,鈥� said Mack, who pointed to the Maple Leaf on his jersey and then applauded the fans following the win over Brazil.
鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping for a full house [today]. We have only one goal, and that鈥檚 the gold.鈥�
The Canadian men play Chile today in the quarter-finals before a likely showdown against the U.S. in the semifinals that comes with a backstory. The U.S. defeated sa国际传媒 21-5 in the final of the Americas/ Caribbean Olympic qualifying tournament last month in North Carolina and will be going to Rio 2016, while sa国际传媒 faces a difficult last-chance qualifier next year for the 12th and final Olympic berth.
鈥淲e鈥檙e still licking our wounds from the qualifier,鈥� Mack said.
Which would make victory over the Americans today all the more gratifying, even though it would come one month too late.
鈥淲e are bitter rivals with the U.S. and losing last month was devastating,鈥� said Canadian player Sean Duke from the University of Victoria Vikes.
鈥淭he implications were huge. They are going to the Olympics, while we have to still find a way.鈥�
A victory today won鈥檛 erase the pain from last month, but would still be sweet on its own level.
鈥淭he support in Toronto has been outstanding, but with the excitement comes expectation,鈥� said Zimbabwe-raised Canadian coach Liam Middleton of Victoria.
The Canadian women, meanwhile, have qualified for the Rio Olympics. Ironically, their only setback during the process was a poor showing at their home Westhills Stadium in April in the first World Series event ever held in sa国际传媒.
鈥淭he lessons we learned in Langford about the pressures of playing at home are being put into effect here in Toronto,鈥� said Canadian player Ashley Steacy.
鈥淲e were super emotional at Langford . . . we want to stay on point here and focus. The place was only half full on opening day, but there was great energy in the stands and it was really loud when we played.鈥�
Two of the Canadian players 鈥� Jennifer Kish and Karen Paquin 鈥� have fathers who are fighting cancer.
鈥淲hen we play, it鈥檚 a [welcome] distraction,鈥� said Kish, the team captain.
鈥淚t鈥檚 off the field when it becomes a matter of maintaining that focus.鈥�
Being centralized in Langford has brought the group closer together. That includes being there for Kish and Paquin.
鈥淎ll you can do is support your teammates through times such as these,鈥� Steacy said. 鈥淲e train day in and day out together and love each other and support each other.鈥�
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ISLAND NOTES: Ellen Pennock, 21, a native of Calgary who lives and trains in Victoria, continues to establish herself as a young racer to watch as she placed sixth Saturday in the Pan Am Games women鈥檚 triathlon while Paula Findlay of Edmonton was ninth. 鈥淓llen is the real deal. She鈥檚 a massive [emerging] talent and as tough as nails,鈥� said Canadian team coach Craig Taylor . . . Up today are Richard Weinberger, who was a little-known Victoria swimmer when he struck gold at Guadalajara 2011 en route to bronze at the 2012 London Olympics, and world championships silver-medallist Eric Hedlin of Victoria, both in the Pan Am Games men鈥檚 open-water race this morning . . . More than 50 Island-based athletes are competing in the 2015 Pan Am Games.
