CLEVE DHEENSAW
sa国际传媒
With squash headed to the Olympics in 2028 at Los Angeles, Nicole Bunyan of Victoria was happy to show off her sport in style Thursday at the Pan Am Games in Santiago.
Bunyan and George Crowne of Oakville, Ont., won their mixed doubles semifinal to assure themselves of at least the silver medal when they play in the gold-medal final today in the Chilean capital. A number of Canadian Olympic Committee officials, including former sprinting great Bruny Surin, were at the match to see what the sport is all about.
“This was a really good showing for squash, which will be in the 2028 Olympic Games. Just to have some members of the COC here is pretty exciting because they can see squash at its best,” said Bunyan.
The St. Michaels University School graduate came out of the Victoria Squash Club on Cook Street to play in the Ivy League at Princeton. Her previous multi-sport appearances were at the sa国际传媒 Games, sa国际传媒 Games and 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Now the greatest show on earth is beckoning in five years, although Bunyan will then be 34. Squash was among five new sports announced last month for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, including lacrosse. But Santiago 2023 is what’s happening currently and Bunyan and Crowne, a Harvard grad, hung tight on the court despite only being brought together as a double just before the Pan Am Games.
“We put together a solid performance,” said Bunyan.
“It was a really good test of both our characters that we stayed confident even if we didn’t necessarily feel it. We played that part pretty well.”
A number of friends and family from Victoria, including her parents, are in Santiago to watch Bunyan compete.
“It feels fantastic. I’m really glad they can come out to witness this,” she said.
The 44 Island or Island-based athletes on the 473-member Canadian team at the 2023 Pan Am Games have now accounted for 10 medals. The Games conclude Sunday.
Meanwhile, Martin Sobey put in a gutty effort Thursday to place fourth in the men’s triathlon race.
“I got a taste of the front, and I’m pretty proud of fourth. That’s everything I had today, and it feels pretty cool to have been leading that race for a bit,” said the 27-year-old UVic grad.
“[It was] a privilege to be out here and battle against these guys. Anyone would die to be there. I’m just thankful to be out here. No matter the result, I can go home and be proud of myself and that’s exactly what I did.”
Desirae Ridenour of Cowichan Bay, a relay silver medallist in the 2019 Lima Pan Am Games, was unable to finish the women’s race. The Games triathlon races are taking place in the Chilean beach resort of Vina del Mar with the mixed relay on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Charles Philibert-Thiboutot in the men’s 1,500 metres and Sarah Mitton in the women’s shot put captured the first two track and field gold medals of the Games for sa国际传媒 on Thursday.
The 32-year-old Philibert-Thiboutot from Quebec City strained at the finish line and fell crossing it to edge his Canadian teammate Robert Heppenstall. Philibert-Thiboutot’s time was three minutes 39.74 just two hundredths of a second faster than Hamilton’s Heppenstall.
