Canada’s Santiago 2023 weightlifting team announced

TORONTO (September 25, 2023) – Weightlifting Canada Haltérophilie (WCH) and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced Canada’s weightlifting team nominated to compete at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

The Team Canada weightlifting team for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games is:

Athletes
Amanda Braddock (Brampton, Ont. ) – W 49kg
Maude Charron (Rimouski, Que.) – W 59kg
Maya Laylor (Toronto, Ont.) – W 81kg
Nicolas Vachon (Sainte-Hippolyte, Que.) – M 73kg
Alex Bellemarre (La Sarre, Que.) – M 89kg
Noah Santavy (Sarnia, Ont. ) – M 102kg

The six athletes qualified for Team Canada based on their ranking from the 2023 season.  Canada earned quotas for three men and three women through their team scores from the 2021 and 2022 Pan American Championships that took place in Ecuador and Colombia, respectively.

Olympic champion Maude Charron will compete at her second Pan American Games following her fourth-place finish at Lima 2019. In her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, Charron became just the second Canadian weightlifter – after Christine Girard, who will serve as Team Canada’s Santiago 2023 Chef de Mission – to win an Olympic gold medal. She finished atop the women’s 64kg event after lifting a total weight of 236kg. Charron also won gold at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games after leading the Canadian delegation into the Opening Ceremony as the flag bearer.

Santiago 2023 marks the first multi-sport Games where Charron will compete in the women’s 59kg category, after the 64kg weight class was removed from the Olympic program for Paris 2024. She won gold in her new weight class at the 2023 Pan American Championships, held in Bariloche, Argentina earlier this year. That followed a bronze medal in the 59kg event at the 2022 IWF World Championships last December.

“Major Games are always a wonderful experience,” said Charron. “I’m very excited to represent Team Canada for the second time at a Pan American Games.”

Alex Bellemarre is one of four Pan American Games rookies representing Team Canada at Santiago 2023. At the 2023 Pan American Championships, he finished third in the men’s 89kg event.

“I’m very happy to represent Canada at my first Pan American Games and to have the opportunity to compete with the best of my continent,” said Bellemarre.

While Santiago 2023 does not offer any direct Paris 2024 qualification opportunities, the young team will use the event as essential major-Games experience on their journey to next summer’s Olympic Games. Weightlifting has been part of the Pan American Games program since 1951, but women’s weightlifting was not added until the Winnipeg 1999 edition.

“This is a special group of athletes who have fought through a grueling qualification process,” said Craig Walker, President of WCH. “They have shown tremendous focus and resilience over the past two years and are ready to prove their quality at the Games. We have tremendous confidence in their ability to compete among the best in the sport.” 

Weightlifting will take place October 21 to 24 (Days 1 to 4) at the Chimkowe Gymnasium.

Santiago 2023 Chef de Mission Christine Girard competed for Canada in weightlifting at three Pan American Games. After her debut at Santo Domingo 2003, where she finished eighth, she went on to win two Pan Am Games medals – silver at Rio 2007 and gold at Guadalajara 2011. 

“Welcome, my fellow weightlifters, to the Pan Am Games! As a former weightlifter myself, I know the dedication and determination it takes to excel in this sport,” said Girard. “Let’s relish this moment and embrace the challenge. Together, let’s raise the bar just as we’ve always done on our personal journeys. Here’s to lifting dreams and forging new records!”

Team Canada’s weightlifting coaches and support staff for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games are:

Coaches
David Ogle (Vancouver, British Columbia) – Coach
Dalas Santavy (Sarnia, Ontario) – Coach

Support Staff
Mac Read (Calgary, Alberta) – High-Performance Manager and Team Leader

Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organisations.

The latest Team Canada Santiago 2023 roster can be found here.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Mac Read, High-Performance Manager
Weightlifting Canada Haltérophilie
E: mread@cwfhc.ca

Tara MacBournie, Team Canada Santiago 2023 Sport Communications Lead
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-522-8328
E: tmacbournie@olympic.ca