Some Canadians qualified for Paris 2024 at Pan Am Games, while others await their next shot

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The Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile closed Sunday with Canadian athletes taking home 164 medals, including 47 gold, over 16 days of competition. In terms of both total and gold medals, it was Canada's second-best showing ever for a Pan Am Games it did not host.

The more recognizable winners included Olympic champion swimmer Maggie Mac Neil, whose five gold medals broke the Canadian record for a single Pan Am Games; hammer thrower Ethan Katzberg, who followed up this summer's surprise world title by becoming the first to surpass 80 metres at the Pan Ams; shot putter Sarah Mitton, who now holds both the Commonwealth and Pan Am Games titles along with her silver from this year's worlds; and diver Pamela Ware, who won gold in the 1m and 3m springboard events after capturing her fourth career world-championships medal this summer. Each of those athletes should contend for the Olympic podium next summer in Paris.

Other big winners included breakdancer Philip Kim (aka B-Boy Phil Wizard) and boxers Tammara Thibeault and Wyatt Sanford, who each clinched an Olympic spot for themselves with their gold-medal victories. Surfer Sanoa Dempfle-Olin, who took silver, was the other Canadian athlete to earn a personal Olympic berth, which came with an actual souvenir gold ticket in recognition of the accomplishment.

In all, Canadians secured Olympic spots (if not specifically for themselves, then for the country) in 12 events across a variety of sports, including equestrian, sailing and shooting. But several Canadian teams failed to grab an Olympic berth.

In water polo, where the