TORONTO: Chile’s Barbara Riveros won the gold medal in women’s triathlon at the Pan American Games yesterday to earn an automatic qualifying spot for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Riveros, currently fifth in the world in the International Triathlon Union’s women’s rankings, finished with a time of 1:57:18 under sunny skies in Toronto to go one better than the silver she won at the 2011 Pan Ams in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Mexico’s Paola Diaz finished in second place, 29 seconds behind Riveros, while Bermuda’s Flora Duffy finished 37 seconds later, placing third.
Women’s triathlon is one of a handful of disciplines in 10 sports at the July 10-26 Pan Am Games that offer athletes a chance to secure a spot in the Rio Olympics, which are scheduled for Aug. 5-21 next year. Games-Canadian synchronised swimmers win gold, secure Rio berth
Also yesterday, Canadian synchronised swimmers Jacqueline Simoneau and Karine Thomas won the gold medal in the duet event to earn direct qualification for next year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Simoneau, 18, and Thomas, 26, leaders after the technical program, scored 178.0881 points to capture the gold medal.
Mexico’s Karem Achach and Nuria Diosdado (170.7800) won silver while Americans Mariya Koroleva and Alison Williams (166.3876) finished third.
The duet event is one of a handful of disciplines in 10 sports that offer athletes a chance to secure a spot in the Rio Olympics, which are schedule for Aug. 5-21 next year.
Diversity
Canada’s largest city will show off its diversity throughout the 17-day games, which end on July 26.
The United States were runaway leaders atop the 2011 Pan Am medals table in Guadalajara, Mexico, where they captured 92 gold medals, comfortably ahead of second-placed Cuba (58).
With nearly 600 athletes in Toronto, Brazil for its part hopes to finish in the top three in medals, just like it did in Guadalajara four years ago. Brazilians won 141 medals in the games in Mexico (48 gold, 35 silver and 58 bronze). Brazil’s best showing so far came at home in 2007, when it finished third with 157 medals (52 gold, 40 silver and 65 bronze).
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