Toronto, ON – Canada is host to the 2015 Junior-Cadet Pan Am Championships, which are being held at the CIBC Pan Am / Parapan Am Aquatics Centre and Field House. The event is also the official test event for the sport of fencing at the 2015 Pan Am Games and features over 300 athletes from 18 Pan American countries in the Cadet and Junior age categories.

Individual cadet competition got underway Tuesday in women’s epee, men’s foil and women’s sabre, with Canada off to a strong start in the six day competition by earning 3 medals.

Women’s epee started off the day well with two athletes advancing to the semi-finals and guaranteed a spot on the podium.  Monica Lubczynski (Pointe Claire, QC) had a strong day, losing her semi-final bout to the eventual gold medalist from Jamaica, Tia Simms Lymne 15-13, and earning the bronze medal.  Alexanne Verret (Quebec, QC) advanced to the final winning 15-13 against Mexican Frania Tejeda.  Verret lost a close final bout 11-9 to Simms Lymne, finishing with a silver medal for Canada.

Canada also had an athlete in the finals in women’s sabre.  Madison Thurgood (Edmonton, AB) won silver, losing to Colombia’s Jessica Caicedo Morales 15-9 in her final bout. 

Canada unfortunately just missed the podium in men’s foil with two Canadians finishing in 5^th and 6^th place.

Competition resumes tomorrow at 10:00 am with Cadets in action in men’s epee, women’s foil and men’s sabre.  The finals are scheduled for 6:00 pm.

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