Victoria swimmer Alec Page was denied the experience of soaking in the moment this summer on the podium at the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games. His consolation is that he will receive his bronze medal for the 200-metre butterfly at his home pool. The ceremony takes place today at 4 p.m. at Saanich Commonwealth Place.
Page, originally fourth in the Games final, has been upgraded to the bronze medal due to a doping infraction by an athlete from another nation.
The medal will be presented to Page by Swimming sa国际传媒 vice-president Dean Crawford of Victoria, an Olympic gold-medallist rower from the 1984 L.A. Games. Youth competitors from the Island Swimming and Pacific Coast clubs will be on hand.
鈥淎lec didn鈥檛 get this opportunity at the Games. But we are turning it into a positive: Where up-and-coming local swimmers can be inspired and share in this moment with Alec,鈥� said Crawford.
Page is a 2012 London Olympian from Cortes Island who graduated from Claremont Secondary. Now training for the 2016 Rio Olympics, Page has fond memories of Toronto 2015, regardless: 鈥淭he experience of a home Games will be a memory I never forget . . . it鈥檚 an experience I鈥檒l always carry around my neck.鈥�
Page is among three Canadian athletes from the 2015 Pan Am Games being upgraded because of doping violations disqualifying athletes from other nations. Zack Chetrat of Oakville, Ont., steps up from bronze to the silver medal in the 200-metre butterfly and Rachel Hannah of Brampton, Ont., moves from fourth to bronze in the women鈥檚 marathon.
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