Gymnast Felix Dolci 1st Canadian in 60 years to win men's all-around final at Pan Am Games


CBC
Mon, October 23, 2023 


Not even a fall on his final apparatus could bump Felix Dolci off the medal podium on Monday.

The rising Canadian gymnastics star had built enough of a lead in the men's all-around competition before horizontal (high) bar to hold off Diogo Soares of Brazil and win Canada's 10th gold medal at the Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile.

The 21-year-old native of Laval, Que., scored over 14 points in four of six apparatus and totalled 82.531, with silver medallist Soares close behind with 81.865. Donnell Whittenburg of the United States earned bronze (81.764).

Dolci, who qualified seventh for the final, is the first Canadian to win the event at Pan Ams since Wilhelm Weiler in 1963.

William Émard of Laval placed 16th in the 24-man field.

Earlier this month, Dolci and Emard helped Canada end a 15-year drought and qualify a men's team for the Paris Olympics next summer.
'I'm expecting a successful year'

On Saturday, Rene Cournoyer, Zachary Clay, Dolci and Émard captured team silver behind the United States.

"I'm expecting a successful year for myself in 2023 in all the international competitions I'll be attempting," Dolci told International Gymnast Online in January. "The best way for me to reach such goals would be by staying healthy and keep pushing in the same direction I've been going since [2022] worlds.

"I'm ready to work like I've never worked before in order to be where I've never been before in my career."

Dolci made an impact 14 months ago at the Commonwealth Games, earning silver in the team event and floor exercise while placing fourth in individual all-around.

A year earlier, he brought home vault silver and bronze in team, all-around and floor from the 2021 Pan Am Championships.

In 2018, he represented Canada at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he was the first Canadian to win a gymnastics medal (silver in rings).

The following year, Dolci became the most decorated athlete in Canada Games history in 2018, compiling 11 medals over two appearances.
Golden hat trick for Mac Neil

As expected, Canada continues to dominate in the pool on the women's side.

It's a golden hat trick for 2020 Olympic triple medallist Maggie Mac Neil of London, Ont. She broke her second record in two days at these Games, winning the women's 100-metre freestyle in 53.64 seconds. She went 56.94 in the 100 butterfly on Monday after helping Canada's relay women to victory in Saturday's 4x100 free.

In Monday's race, Stephanie Balduccini of Brazil collected silver in 54.13, while American Catie DeLoof (54.50) took bronze. Mary-Sophie Harvey of Trois-Rivières, Que., was fourth (54.64) after posting a winning time of 1:58.08 in Sunday's 200 free.

Sydney Pickrem of Halifax and Winnipeg's Kelsey Wog finished one-two in the women's 200 breaststroke on Monday, posting times of 2:23.39 and 2:23.49.

Pickrem is fresh off her victory in the 200 individual medley eight days ago at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Athens. In July, the 26-year-old withdrew from the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan due for personal reasons.

Two years ago, Pickrem won Olympic bronze in Tokyo with the women's 4x100 medley relay team.