Team Canada announced for the 2019 Pan American Games
Six triathletes have been named to Team Canada for the 2019 Pan American Games: Alexis Lepage, Desirae Ridenour, Hannah Henry, Karol-Ann Roy, Charles Paquet and Taylor Forbes.
On May 29th, Triathlon Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee announced the six athletes who will compete at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. Three women and three men have qualified to compete in their first Pan American Games for Team Canada based on their performances at multiple events this spring. Since the Pan American Games are not a 2020 Olympic qualifying event, Triathlon Canada will use the multi-sport Games as a development opportunity for its next wave of promising young athletes.
Led by Alexis Lepage from Gatineau, Quebec, Lepage will bring international success to a relatively young team. Earlier in May, the Quebec triathlete finished 3rd at the ITU WorldCup event in Chengdu, China. The 25-year-old also represented Canada at the Commonwealth Games last year. “It’s extremely rewarding to represent Canada in another multi-sport Games and I look forward to another great adventure in Lima,” said Lepage. “My recent success in Chengdu will keep me confident leading into this race. Our team will be heading there, going for the win. Anything can happen in a relay event, and I know we will be ready to give everything we have.”
Related: Alexis Lepage captures his first Triathlon World Cup medal in Chengdu
Lepage will be joined by his Commonwealth Games teammate, Desirae Ridenour from Cowichan Bay, BC. “I’m very excited to represent Canada at another Games. It’s always an honour to wear the maple leaf and have the support of the country behind me,” said Ridenour. “My experience at the Commonwealth Games in Australia provided me with a better understanding of what to expect and how to conduct myself in a multi-games environment. I can’t wait for another opportunity in Lima.”
The four other Canadians joining Lepage and Ridenour will be competing in their first multi-sport games at an international level.
Hannah Henry of Victoria, BC, will also look to make her mark on Team Canada. She will be joined by Karol-Ann Roy of Laval, Quebec, who has been threatening the podium on the international development circuit.
Charles Paquet will also be looking to capture the world’s attention in Lima. The 21-year-old was a silver medallist at the 2016 World Junior Championships and made his World Triathlon Series debut in 2018. Taylor Forbes, a three-time Canadian Championship medallist who represented Team Canada twice at the Under-23 World Championships, will also look to gain valuable experience in Lima.
Since 1995, Canada has earned nine medals in triathlon at the Pan American Games. The last two podium finishes were by Brent McMahon, who won the silver at the 2007 Games and bronze in 2011. The only two gold medals won by Canadian triathletes at the Pan American Games came by Sharon Donnelly (1999), and Jill Savage (2003).
The individual triathlon event will take place on July 27. The mixed relay competition will occur on July 29th.
