Canadian Fencing Federation – The 2019 Senior Pan American Championships in Toronto have come to an end and Canada added three more medals in team competition to bring its total tally to ten.

Canada’s Men’s Foil Team of Maximilien Van Haaster (Montreal, QC), Eli Schenkel (Canadian living in the US), Misha Sweet (Winnipeg, MB) and Blake Broszus (Canadian living in the US) defeated Puerto Rico 45-28 in the quarter-finals to advance to the semi-finals where they faced Team Brazil.  In the run to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Canada and Brazil were tied in points for the Americas spot at the Games.  The tie-breaker was the Pan American Championships from 2015 where Canada finished just behind Brazil.  The importance of this match was not lost on the Canadians and they came out strong, winning the closely contested bout by a score of 45-41 to advance to the finals. Canada then fenced the world number one ranked USA in the finals and lost 45-27 to take home silver.

Canada’s Women’s Sabre Team also took home silver.  The team of Gabriella Page (Blainville, QC), Pamela Brind’Amour (Montreal, QC), Marissa Ponich (Edmonton, AB) and Madison Thurgood (Edmonton, AB) defeated Mexico in the quarter-finals by a score of 45-25 to advance to the semi-finals against Colombia. Canada came out on top by a score of 45-29 to advance to the Finals.  Canada then faced team USA and kept the score close until the end when USA pulled ahead to take the win by a score of 45-37. Canada added another silver medal to its total tally.

Canada’s women’s epee team of Leonora MacKinnon (Newbury, UK), Malinka Hoppe Montanaro (Montreal, QC), Arianne Leonard (St-Lambert, QC) and Emma Von Dadelszen (Vancouver, BC) solidly defeated Mexico in the quarter-finals by a score of 45-21.  They then faced Brazil in the semi-finals and lost 45-38 to advance to the bronze medal final.  Canada fenced team Argentina and battled hard to come out on top by a score of 45-40, to take home bronze.

Canada surpassed its total medal tally from 2018 in this important zonal qualifier for Tokyo, taking home one silver and four bronze medals in individual competition, and four silver and one bronze in team competition, for a grand total of 10 medals.

Team Canada soon heads to Budapest for the 2019 Senior World Fencing Championships, taking place from July 15 to 23, another important event on the road to qualification for Tokyo 2020.

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