Team BC 2018 athletes continued to excel on the second day of competition at the 2018 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games. Athletes from British Columbia celebrated many personal bests, enjoyed the festive atmosphere in Antigonish, and cheered their teammates on to some great results.
Team BC powerlifters took to the podium for their medal ceremony today, having finished competition on Wednesday night. Athletes from British Columbia racked up an impressive 14 medals in the sport.
Team BC mission staff member for powerlifting Darren Inouye said all the powerlifters trained very hard for National Games and excelled in competition.
“Even though it is an individual sport, these athletes really came together and worked together as a team,” he said.
Inouye said the atmosphere at the powerlifting competition was absolutely electric. Because the event was held at night, many Team BC athletes who compete in other sports came down to cheer on the powerlifters. As a result, Team BC had a very loud, enthusiastic cheering section.
“It was very cool,” Inouye said.
Many of the powerlifters achieved personal bests, and Special Olympics BC – Abbotsford athlete Todd Moore won four gold medals.
Inouye said Team BC powerlifters performed phenomenally during competition, and he credits the coaches, SOBC – Campbell River’s George Maclagan and SOBC – Surrey’s Emma Woo, for helping the athletes excel.
In basketball, the BC Warriors got off to a great start by winning both their games today. In their first test, the squad from Langley took on Manitoba. The two teams have developed a fun rivalry and a strong level of respect for each other, having previously faced off in the final of the 2014 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games.
In a very close contest, BC Warriors player Alexander Singh made a spectacular shot in the final 10 seconds to secure a 17-15 victory.
“When I scored the final shot I felt very happy and excited – it felt good inside,” Singh said.
The BC Warriors followed up on the win with a 22-17 victory over the team from Guelph, Ontario later in the day.
In the evening, the BC Ogopogos showed great spirit and enthusiasm in their game against Quebec. The squad – which includes players from SOBC – Kelowna, SOBC – Vernon, SOBC – Campbell River, SOBC – Kamloops, and SOBC – Salmon Arm – played well as a team and won the game 26-10.
Competition in softball and soccer also got going today, and you can find Team BC scores here.
In athletics, Team BC athletes continued to post strong results, winning more than 10 medals today. Highlights included gold medal performances from SOBC – Burnaby’s April Armstrong, SOBC – Fort St. John’s Sheryl Jakubowski, and SOBC – Port Alberni’s Maxtin Lengyel.
Pictured above right: The BC Rebels soccer team triumphed over Alberta 4-1 and tied the Brampton, Ontario team 1-1.
Swimmers continued their hot streak in the pool by picking up 35 medals on Thursday, which included a three-medal day for SOBC – Richmond athlete Magnus Batara.
Friday will see Team BC members compete in athletics, bocce, basketball, golf, rhythmic gymnastics, soccer, softball, and swimming. The 2018 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games will stream many of the events online, check out our schedule for more information.