Winnipeg, March 28, 2024 – Team Canada has won silver in three events at the 2024 Pan American Championships being held in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Podium results for Canada came from Samuel Murray (Baie-Comeau) in men’s singles, Murray and Coby Iwaasa (Lethbridge) in men’s doubles and Iwaasa and Juliette Parent (Saint-Jacques) in mixed doubles.
Murray faced Rodrigo Montoya of Mexico in Thursday’s men’s singles final. Murray looked strong, but Montoya managed to win in four games with scores of 11-7, 6-11, 15-13, 11-8.
In men’s doubles, Murray and Coby Iwaasa looked like gold could be within reach but were unable to win. It was a roller coaster match against Costa Rica that went back and forth with Canada forcing a tiebreaker. However, Andrés Acuña and Gabriel Garcia took control in the last game to win with scores of 7-11, 11-7, 11-6, 7-11, 11-1.
Canada’s last opportunity for a gold medal rested with the mixed doubles team of Iwaasa and Juliette Parent, who played against USA’s Sam Bredenbeck and Michelle Key. Although the teams were closely matched, USA won in three games with scores of 11-9, 12-10, 11-9.
The Men’s Team Event got underway on Thursday but because of Canada’s strong showing in the singles and doubles events, they received a bye to the quarterfinals. The Women’s Team Event begins Friday. Play concludes Saturday, March 30.
The Team Event will be streamed live on the International Racquetball Federation’s Facebook Page and YouTube Channel, as well as on the Panam Sports Channel. You’ll find times and links on the Racquetball Canada’s social pages which are linked to the icons at the bottom of this release.
