(Tlaxcala) Canada won the gold medal in beach volleyball, both in the women’s and men’s competitions, and earned berths to the Paris Olympics on Sunday.
The men’s and women’s teams won first place at the NORCECA Olympic Beach Volleyball Qualification Tournament in Mexico.
Ontarians Heather Bansley and Sophie Bukovec, who have been playing together for less than a year, did not lose a match during the tournament and won the gold medal.
In the final, Bansley and Bukovec defeated Mexicans Atenas Gutierrez and Susana Torres in two sets of 21-16, 21-17.
This will be Bansley’s third Olympics, after 2016 and 2020, but she will now play with an Olympic rookie in Bukovec.
“I’m just really proud. We came here with the goal of qualifying for Paris and we did it,” Bansley said.
“The last 11 months have been a bit crazy for our team and it’s amazing that we were able to qualify. I am proud of Sophie. If someone had asked me last year if we would be there, it was probably a crazy dream. »
Ontarians Samuel Schachter and Daniel Dearing won the men’s final 21-13, 21-13 at the expense of Mexicans Juan Virgen and Ricardo Galindo.
“We played with a lot of joy today. I really enjoyed the match, said Schachter. We were in the moment. It was a team victory and we had a lot of support. »