Olympic-bound Canadian surfer Sanoa Dempfle-Olin collects Pan Am Games silver medal

Canadian surfer Sanoa Dempfle-Olin qualified for next summer’s Olympic Games in Paris by reaching the Pan American Games women’s shortboard final Monday in Pichilem, Chile.

The 18-year-old from Tofino, B.C., was then outpointed 12.33-10.13 by Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb, who previously qualified for Paris earlier this year as a top finisher on the World Surf League Championship Tour.

In her silver-medal performance, Dempfle-Olin posted scores of 5.30 on her first wave and 4.83 on her second .

She advanced to the gold-medal round by scoring 4.5 and 5.5 on her respective waves for 10 points while Leilani McGonagle of Costa Rica mustered only 4.2.

All earned Olympic slots are subject to nomination by the Canadian Olympic Committee and meeting the International Surfing Association Olympic eligibility requirements. For Dempfle-Olin, that means attending the World Surfing Games, the final Games qualifier, from Feb. 22 to March 2 in Puerto Rico.

Canada didn’t have a surfer in the sport’s Olympic debut in Tokyo two years ago.

Olin’s older sister Mathea won Pan Am Games bronze in Lima, Peru in 2019.

In April, Sanoa Dempfle-Olin clinched a spot at the Pan Am Games placing fourth at the Pan American Surfing Games in Santa Catalina, Panama.

Last month, she won women’s shortboard on the North American Qualifying Series in Nags Head, N.C., for her first victory in three finals this year. Mathea edged her in February at the SLO CAL Open at Morro Bay, Calif.

Vancouver’s Spencer Finn earned a bronze medal in men’s stand-up paddleboard (SUP) surfing at Punta de Lobos, southwest of Chile’s host city Santiago.

WATCH | Highlights of Marino bronze-medal tennis match & other Sunday action:

Featured VideoWatch some of the best performances from the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

Toronto’s Shady El Nahas can now share Pan Am Games medals with his brother and fellow judoka.

Making his event debut, El Nahas defeated Thomas Briceño of Chile on Monday by ippon with 22 seconds remaining in their four-minute, gold-medal match in the men’s under 100-kilogram weight class.

Mohab El Nahas won 2019 Pan Am bronze in Lima.

“I knew the crowd was going to be against me and people were going to cheer for him. I used that as motivation,” El Nahas said of Briceño in an interview with Rob Pizzo of CBC Sports.

“I wanted to play it smart. Usually, I go for big throws, big attacks but I was like, ‘We need a gold medal for Canada in judo, so I’m going to play it smart’ and it worked.”

WATCH | El Nahas catches Chilean opponent off guard to win gold:

Featured VideoToronto’s Shady El Nahas beat Chile’s Thomas Briceño in the men’s judo -100 kg gold medal bout at the Pan American Games in Santiago.

After the match, El Nahas hugged the 30-year-old Briceño, lifted his arm and talked into his ear.

“We’ve known each other for a long time [and] we’re very close buddies,” El Nahas said of the 2019 Pan Am Games champion. “I told him, ‘I’m sorry I had to beat you at your house … but it was an honour to fight with you.'”

El Nahas anticipated a loud crowd so his coach used hand signals during the match.

“I love when the crowd’s against me. It just pumps me up more,” said El Nahas, who was fifth in his 2021 Olympic debut in Tokyo. “I rained a little bit on their parade, but I’m happy for the win.”

Shady El Nahas, who is ranked fifth in the world in his weight bracket, has won nine IJF Grand Slam medals.

A week ago, the 25-year-old earned bronze at a Grand Slam event in Abu Dhabi. It followed his winning performance in early September at the Senior Pan American Oceania Judo Championship in Calgary, where he defended his 2022 title.

WATCH | El Nahas captures gold at Calgary competition by ippon:

Featured VideoCanada’s Shady El Nahas beat Brazil’s Leonardo Goncalves by ippon in the men’s -100 kg gold medal bout at the 2023 Senior Pan American Oceania Judo Championship in Calgary.