Like many of the Island’s still-active older Olympians, 32-year-old Jamie Broder of Victoria says she is just taking it as it comes now and going year by year. But she certainly hasn’t lost her footing in the sand since making the Round of 16 last year in beach volleyball at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The Claremont Secondary graduate and former Vancouver Island University Mariners star, and new partner Sophie Bukovec of Toronto, defeated the the Cuban team of Lianma Flores and Yanisleidis Sanchez 21-18, 21-7 Sunday in the gold-medal final of the Ocho Rios Tournament in Jamaica, the third stop of the NORCECA circuit.
Broder partnered last year with Kristina Valjas of Toronto in the Olympics. The Islander has played with a few partners since to find that right mix. In November, Broder won gold in the Trinidad and Tobago Tournament with partner Melissa Humana-Paredes of Toronto. The result with Bukovec on Sunday also showed emerging chemistry.
“This is [her and Bukovec’s] first tournament together as a team and I’m really proud of the level we played at all weekend,” said Broder, in a statement.
Broder and Bukovec defeated Helen Rancourt and Sarah Meunier-Bedard 21-19, 21-17 in an all-Canadian semifinal while Lianma and Yanisleidis beat Karissa Cook and Katherine Spieler of the U.S. 21-12, 21-14 in the other semifinal.
“We kept a great balance of focus and fun, while making small adjustments to our game throughout,” added Broder.
“We are looking forward to our next opportunity to represent Canada.”
About Tokyo 2020, Broder said last fall: “I am taking it one year at a time right now to see if I want to go for another quad or not.”
The past two Olympic cycles were notable for Island volleyball with Martin Reader from Comox competing at London 2012 and Victorians Fred Winters and Broder at Rio 2016.
