Team B.C. celebrates record-setting success at Canada Summer Games

Over the past two weeks, Team B.C. competed against the best athletes in the country at the 2017 Canada Summer Games and brought home a record-setting 146 medals — the most medals Team B.C. has ever won at a Canada Summer Games.

Team B.C. was second in the standings behind Ontario (212 medals) and ahead of Quebec (138 medals).

The last medal of the Games was the one that broke Team B.C.’s previous record of 145 medals and was a gold won by the women’s softball team on Sunday just prior to the closing ceremony. This medal was also a fourth consecutive gold for Team B.C. women’s softball at the Canada Summer Games.

Leading B.C. into the closing ceremony at Investors Group Field was 16-year-old Raben Dommann. The North Vancouver swimmer powered his way to eight medals, including five golds in the Pan Am Pool — part of the B.C. swim team’s 52-medal haul at the Games.

Team B.C. consisted of 354 athletes, 52 coaches, 27 managers and technical support staff, and 22 mission staff.

Many high-level athletes have launched their careers through these Games and Team B.C.

At the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brazil, 30 Team B.C. alumni were part of Team Canada.

Victoria’s Ryan Cochrane, an Olympic medallist in swimming in 2008 and 2012, was the honourary captain for Team B.C. and is an alumnus of the 2005 Canada Summer Games.

Titled “Grand Summer Party”, the closing ceremony celebrated both the Canada Games 50th anniversary and Canada 150 while highlighting the natural beauty of the host province and the vibrant culture of Winnipeg.

Team B.C. athletes sang along to performances by Fred Penner and Brett Kissel.

WEEK 2 HIGHLIGHTS

Swimming earned 52 medals — 17 gold, 16 silver and 19 bronze

Tyler Wall (Penticton) led the way with nine medals — four gold, two silver, three bronze

Jesse Shade (Campbell River) with five gold in Special Olympics Swimming and two Canada Games records

Acacia Benn (Penticton) won five medals including a gold in the 200m backstroke, silver in the 200m medley and 5000m open water, as well as two silvers in relays.

Arianna Hunsicker (Surrey) with a silver and four bronze medals in para swimming

B.C. Wrestlers won 15 medals, with the women taking team gold as well as seven individual gold medals

Golf men and women each won silver in the team competition, while Alicia Lau (Richmond) won silver and Tristan Mandur (Mill Bay) won bronze in individual play

Six B.C. tennis players combined for a team silver and the men’s and women’s doubles teams each took bronze

Alex Brent (Dewdney) won two bronze in kayaking and 14-year-old Cassidy McPherson (Maple Ridge) won an unexpected gold in the K1 5000m

Cyclist Gillian Ellsay (Courtenay) won gold in the time trial and the criterium and Jay Lamoureux (Victoria) won bronze in the time trial and road race

Men’s volleyball won bronze after an intense five-set game against Quebec