Halifax, NS (February 17, 2011) -- Team BC's youngest member, Shallon Olsen (Surrey), 10, won her first ever Canada Games Gold medal Thursday on the final day of Artistic Gymnastics competition at the 2011 Canada Winter Games. She was awarded the top prize for her compelling floor routine, and followed up with a Bronze on the beam.
"It feels amazing," said Olsen, who has become a fan favourite and media darling at the Games.
Also earning medals in the Individual Apparatus Finals were Briannah Tsang (Burnaby), who won Gold on the vault and Bronze on the floor, Shae Zamardi (Victoria), with Silver on the uneven bars and Emma Sibson (West Vancouver) who won Bronze on the vault. The boys also had great performances. Zachary Clay (Chilliwack) earned a Gold on the pommel horse Silver on the vault, Kal Nemier (North Vancouver) Silver in floor, Bronze in rings and Bronze in vault.
Also finishing competition Thursday on a high note were the women's and men's squash teams who won Gold and Silver respectively.
The Women's 3000m short track speed skatiing relay team of Courtney Shmyr (Langley), Jamie Macdonald (Fort St. James), Jesse Keca (Kelowna) and Michelle MacKay (Pitt Meadows) captured the Silver, but gave the winning Quebec team all they could handle.
Team BC toppled Ontario 5-2 in their seim-final game Thursday. Down 0-1 after seven minutes, Team BC roared back to score five unanswered goals to pave their way to the Gold medal final Friday night with Quebec. Curtis Lazar (Vernon) led all scorers with a hat trick and an assist to add to his tournament leading point total.
Team BC has brought a dedicated team of 242 athletes, 74 coaches, three National Artists and 22 mission staff to the Games in Halifax. Approximately 2,700 athletes, coaches, managers and officials have come to the Games from every province and territory in Canada.
The Canada Games is a national multi-sport Games competition that brings together the best athletes from each Canadian province and territory. The primary objective of the Games and the Games movement is national and provincial sport development of Canadian youth.
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For full Team BC results go to teambc.org. Photos to accompany this press release can be downloaded at teambc.org/photos
Media Contact:
Jan Mansfield
Team BC Communications Manager
januscom@shaw.ca; 902-719-8093