Sunday, March 5, 2023
Alpine skier Roxy Coatesworth (Golden) led Team BC into the Closing Ceremony in PEI as the province celebrated unprecedented success at the Canada Winter Games.
MEDAL STANDINGS | RESULTS
Coatesworth was chosen to represent a BC contingent that won a record 103 medals and 42 gold medals at the Games, besting the province's previous high for medals of 88 set in Halifax 2011 (and met again in Prince George 2015) and previous high for gold medals (30) set in Red Deer 2019.
The sixteen-year-old skiing phenom had a busy day on Sunday, winning her fourth gold medal earlier in the day to complete a sweep of the top of the alpine podium at the Games.
BC won a medal in every possible event on Sunday, taking home gold and bronze in alpine skiing, bronze in the badminton team mix event, silver in men’s curling, and the first-ever gold medal for BC in women’s hockey at the Canada Games.
Team BC Today
- Alpine Skiing: Roxy Coatesworth (Golden) and Maddox Johnson (Fernie) closed out a successful Games for alpine skiing by winning gold and bronze, respectively, in the ski cross event.
- Badminton: BC earned bronze in the mixed team event against Quebec. This means that every member of BC’s badminton team will return from PEI with a medal, and it also marks the first team event medal for BC since 2011. Earlier in the week, BC also won bronze in the male doubles event.
- Curling (M): Team Parkinson faced off against Nova Scotia in the final, falling 3-7 to come away with the silver medal in PEI. The team earned their place in the final with a thrilling semifinal victory and impressed all tournament long with their sportsmanship and play.
- Hockey (F): BC beat an upstart Nova Scotia team 3-0 to earn the province’s first women’s hockey gold medal since the event debuted at the 1991 Games in Charlottetown. Rebecca Noble (Delta) earned the shutout in the final while Maddie Leaney (Maple Ridge) and Chloe Primerano (North Vancouver) finished the tournament one-two in scoring with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Medallists
- Gold | Roxy Coatesworth (Golden) | Alpine Skiing | Ski Cross
- Gold | Hockey (F)
- Silver | Curling (M) | Chris Parkinson (Comox), Neil Imada (Surrey), Graham Lee (Penticton), Jesse Tiede (Black Creek)
- Bronze | Maddox Johnson (Fernie) | Alpine Skiing | Ski Cross
- Bronze | Badminton | Mixed Team Event
Team BC Spotlight
Team BC Talks
Chris Parkinson (Comox) | Skip | Curling (M) | on earning a silver medal at the Canada Winter Games
“It definitely feels like some dreams are coming true today. We have worked super hard for this all year and our hard work paid off this week.
On the work of his coach Bob Lee (Courtenay)
“All the time and effort and commitment to us has been absolutely amazing. There is no way we could have done this without him – a big thank you to him and a big thank you to the family and friends who supported us on this journey.”
Gracie Graham (Kelowna) | Defence | Hockey (F) | on the feeling of winning gold
“It feels amazing. I got to win this gold medal with all my best friends so it’s a great opportunity and a great experience. I’m just thinking about all my family and coaches who have helped me make it this far and have this great opportunity.
On how this gold compares to the one she won with Canada at the U18 Worlds
“I think every gold medal feels the same when it’s around your neck so it’s just amazing.”
Rebecca Noble (Delta) | Goaltender | Hockey (F) | on how it feels to win gold
“Incredible, this feeling is just amazing. This is such a good group of girls and to finish the tournament like this is unforgettable.
On what this means for women’s hockey in BC
“I think we really put our names on the map out here. Even making the finals is just a great experience. I think BC women’s hockey is just starting and taking off so it’s a good future.”
Phyllis Chan (Vancouver) | Coach | Badminton | on winning bronze in the mixed team event
“Our athletes were unfortunate in the individual events, so they were looking forward to the team event. It was a very big team effort to get here. Every province coming here was very strong and we were ready to battle it out. We were seeded fourth, so getting to third was great.”
Jadon Tsang (Burnaby) | Badminton | on winning two bronze medals in PEI (mixed team event and male doubles event)
“This is my first Canada Games. Definitely having two bronze medals is an amazing feeling and an amazing opportunity.”
Annie Zhou (Richmond)| Badminton | on being part of the bronze-medal winning team
“It feels really, really amazing because we’ve been working hard for a long time as a team. The games were so close. We were all really nervous. We did not drop a game today and it feels really great.”
On being in the Athletes’ Village
“I love our roommates with the Judo team. It’s been nice to meet new people. We have pride in representing the same province. When they do well, it motivates me to do well too.”
Michelle Yeung (Vancouver) | Badminton | on today’s matches against Quebec
“We knew going in that Quebec was a tough team to beat. But, we had a good game plan. Everyone was confident and the cheering was awesome.”
On contributing to Team BC’s medal haul in PEI
“It’s awesome, oh my gosh. I think it’s great because I’ve never been to an event like this with so many sports all at once. It’s a great community and I feel really proud to represent BC and contribute a medal.”
Roxy Coatesworth (Golden)| Alpine Skiing | on winning four gold medals
“My week has been really good and it has gone really smooth. I’ve had a great time with my teammates. The results are very gratifying. The hard work has paid off. It’s incredible that I was able to do what I did. I want to shout out to my friends and family and sponsors that helped me get here. I wouldn’t be here without them.
Leslie Firstbrook (Smithers) | Head Coach |Alpine Skiing | on the performance by Team BC
“It’s been pretty cool. I think we’ve had awesome results. The kids walked away pumped and really appreciated the experience of competing nationally with kids from across the country. I’ve never been here [in PEI].. I’ve really enjoyed the experience.
We caught up with BC athletes at the 2023 Canada Winter Games Closing Ceremony to ask them about their experiences at the Games.
Mickey Becker-Pos (Vancouver)| Figure Skating
“It has been a really good experience. I got to meet new people. I’ve been able to meet other athletes in other sports. And the people from PEI welcomed us. The volunteers were really supportive.They really helped us.”
Jamison Hui (Vancouver) | Archery
“I think it was really fun. This was my first time at a national event like this. I was proud to represent BC. I didn’t come away with a medal, but I’m pretty happy.”
Logan Cox (Prince George) | Cross Country Skiing
“I’m super happy. It’s been a great success for us. And it’s been great to be with all the people from all the different sports from across BC. We have a new medal record for BC. We are in super high spirits.”
Samuel Peters (West Kelowna) | Alpine Skiing
“I felt like it’s been an amazing experience to be a part of it. I’ve met so many nice people. I love Team BC and all my teammates, they are incredible.”
Nathan Thiel (Abbotsford) | Judo
“It’s a great experience. It’s probably the best experience I’ve had so far in my life.”