Four veteran athletes named to Team Canada’s Santiago 2023 racquetball team
TORONTO (August 1, 2023) – Racquetball Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced Canada’s racquetball team nominated to compete at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.
Canada will send four athletes to compete in seven events, which includes women’s and men’s singles, doubles, and team events, as well as mixed doubles.
The athletes selected for Team Canada’s racquetball team for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games are:
Athletes
Coby Iwaasa (Lethbridge, Alta.)
Frédérique Lambert (Montréal, Que.)
Michèle Morissette (Baie-Comeau, Que.)
Samuel Murray (Baie-Comeau, Que.)
The four athletes qualified for Team Canada based on their performances at three tournaments held over the past year, including two National Team Selection Events and the 2023 National Championships. Canada earned its quota of four athletes at the 2023 Pan Am Championships held last March in Guatemala.
The team is made up of veteran athletes who have all competed for Canada at previous Pan Am Games and at the IRF World Championships. Lambert will be competing at her fourth Pan Am Games, with the goal of adding to the bronze medal she won at Toronto 2015 in the women’s team event.
“I am very excited to be competing at my fourth Pan Am Games,” said Lambert. “I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to play mixed and women’s doubles again in international competition and build on our success from the 2022 World Championships. We have an experienced team with great chemistry and I can’t wait to be part of Team Canada at the Games. This will likely be my last Pan Am Games experience, so I’m really hoping to win an individual medal.”
Iwaasa and Morissette are competing at their third Pan Am Games, also with the goal of adding to the medals they won at Toronto 2015 in their respective team events. This is Murray’s second Pan Am Games and he is eager to build on his international and pro tour success.
The team’s success at the world championship level will be of benefit. Combined, the four athletes have won 12 world championship medals and come into Santiago 2023 following a very successful 2022 World Championships where they won four medals. That haul was headlined by silvers from Lambert and Murray in mixed doubles as well as Murray and Iwaasa in the men’s team event. There were also bronze medals won in both the women’s and men’s doubles events.
“Racquetball Canada’s athletes will be primed and prepared to compete for medals at the Santiago 2023 Pan Am Games,” said Jennifer Saunders, Racquetball Canada’s High Performance Director, who competed for Team Canada at Toronto 2015 and Lima 2019. “We have a cohesive, well supported team that is pushing to build on their recent international medal results. With the Games being a highlight of the racquetball competitive schedule the entire team is looking to bring their best to the courts in Santiago, striving to be valuable members of Team Canada.”
Racquetball will take place October 21- 26 (Days 1 to 6) at the Estadio Nacional.
“Get ready to witness racquetball greatness! Canada’s finest athletes are set to dominate the Pan-Am Games with their killer racquet skills,” said Christine Girard, Team Canada’s Santiago 2023 Chef de Mission. “This sport may not be in the Olympics, but they’re showing the world what they’re missing!”
Team Canada’s racquetball team alternate athletes, coaches and support staff for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games are:
Alternate Athletes
Lee Connell (Saskatoon, Sask.) – Alternate Athlete (Non-Travelling)
Juliette Parent (Saint-Jacques, Que.) – Alternate Athlete (Non-Travelling)
Danielle Ramsay (Saskatoon, Sask.) – Alternate Athlete (Non-Travelling)
Trevor Webb (Cambridge, Ont.) – Alternate Athlete (Non-Travelling)
Coach
Michel Gagnon (Longueuil, Que.) – National Team Coach
Support Staff
Jennifer Saunders (Winnipeg, Man.) – High Performance Director
Amy Barrette (Baie-Comeau, Que.) – Team Therapist
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:
Jan Hanson, Director of Communications
Racquetball Canada
C: 306-502-4422
E: communications@racquetballcanada.ca
Tara MacBournie, Team Canada Santiago 2023 Sport Communications Lead
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-522-8328
E: tmacbournie@olympic.ca