U of T athletes shine at Pan Am games

With her successful defence of her Pan Am title, MacLennan became the third woman from U of T to win gold at the Toronto 2015 Pan Am games. Rower Kate Sauks, who graduated from U of T in October, 2014 with a PhD in rehabilitation sciences and anatomy was the first to win gold, collecting her medal July 14 in the women’s lightweight double sculls. 

And student Michelle Li (pictured) won gold in singles badminton on July 16, triumphing over Rachel Honderich, who had been her partner earlier in the Games when the pair took the bronze medal in badminton doubles.

Other U of T athletes winning medals include equestrienne Belinda Trussell (team silver in dressage), swimmer Zack Chetrat who took bronze in the men’s 200m butterfly and undergraduate Lucy Nowell who became a double medallist July 20 with bronze medals in group ribbons and group clubs/hoops.  MacLennan won Canada’s only gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and is known for her three triple routine, which won her a silver medal at the last world championships last November in Daytona Beach. She will be a favourite to win another medal at the next Summer Olympics in Rio in 2016.

Given her injury and the impact it had on the final weeks of preparation leading up to the Games MacLennan chose not to do three triple flips at the Games on Sunday. However, judging is based on height (she reached 18 feet) and perfect form over the degree of difficulty.