BIRMINGHAM, England — Canadian athletes, more than 50 from the Island or Island-based, in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games were basking in the gloriously noisy atmosphere of playing in front of fans after the haunting pandemic emptiness of last summer’s Tokyo Olympic venues.
None more so on the opening day of competition than 15-year-old swim sensation Summer McIntosh, who won women’s 400-metre individual medley gold, the silver medallist Canadian women’s sprint cycling team of Kelsey Mitchell, Lauriane Genest and Sarah Orban, and the Langford-based Canadian women’s rugby sevens team. The latter shocked the home crowd at Coventry Stadium by upsetting host England 26-19 in a pivotal game that is likely to see the Canadian squad through to the semifinals and a shot at the podium on Sunday, pending a victory over minnow Sri Lanka today.
“We upset the party,” said Canadian veteran Bianca Farella, who scored two tries against England. “It was exciting to upset the crowd.”
Canadian head coach Jack Hanratty said: “It shows all the work we’ve done in Langford. We knew it was going to be loud walking into this stadium and then to upset the party in the home of rugby — with the town of Rugby literally just down the road. We were buzzing and on fire emotionally when we ran out there. We are a young team, and to have 18- and 19-year-olds [including UVic Vikes players Krissy Scurfield and Renee Gonzalez] playing in front of a large crowd that is all against them was incredible.”
The Canadian men’s and women’s rugby teams, both facing the respective defending Tokyo Olympic champions, knew they had tough opening-day draws in the 2022 Commonwealth Games and that both had to win their other games on the day. That they did with the women bouncing back following a 45-7 loss to the Olympic champion Kiwis. The Canadian men, with Victoria players Anton Ngongo, Lachlan Kratz and Ciaran Breen, opened with a 31-0 victory over Wales before losing 19-12 to the fleet-footed two-time Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Fijians. A victory over minnow Zambia today will see Canada through to the men’s quarter-finals.
Sporting competition began Friday following Thursday’s emotive and well-reviewed opening ceremony that touched on all things Brummie, from adopted daughter Malala Yousafzai to the classic 1980s hometown band Duran Duran.
It feels at these Games that the world has turned a corner to normalcy, said Hanratty: “These are the first major multi-sport Games with fans since COVID. And to see these 15,000 volunteers in their yellow and blue tracksuits — this whole region has bought into these Games.”
The level of competition in the Commonwealth Games varies from sport to sport. At the top-drawer end is McIntosh, who qualified for the Games through the Canadian swim trials held at Saanich Commonwealth Place in April and is set to be a huge story at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Mitchell, who added to her resumé here in Birmingham.
Triathlon Canada is based in Victoria, but there was no joy Friday in its offices in Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre as that sport kicked off the Games on Friday with a powerhouse field. Tokyo Olympic women’s champion Flora Duffy of Bermuda added Commonwealth Games gold while Tokyo Olympics men’s silver medallist and relay gold medallist Alex Yee of England took the men’s gold in Birmingham. Canadians Charles Paquet and Martin Sobey were 10th and 11th in men’s while big Canuck hope Tyler Mislawchuk did not finish due to bike trouble. The Canadian women Emily Legault, Dominika Jamnicky and Amelie Kretz were 10th, 13th and 15th. Triathlon Canada’s hopes now rest with the mixed-relay team and the Para women’s event with Jessica Toumela and guide Emma Skaug, both from Victoria, on Sunday.
In another top-flight sport in the Commonwealth Games, Canada opened with a 4-0 women’s field-hockey victory over Wales. On the Canadian team are Island players Maddie Secco, Anna Mollenhauer and Lexi De Armond from Victoria, and Sara Goodman from Duncan.
cdheensaw@timescolonist.com
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