By Steve Keating
SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Canada denied host Chile a golden start to the Pan American Games on Saturday by sweeping the gold medals in the cross-country mountain bike and leaving brother and sister Martin and Catalina Kossmann to settle for silver.
Gunnar Holmgren charged into the lead on the third of seven laps of the cross-country track in the northeast of the Chilean capital to come home 53 seconds clear of Martin Kossmann and snatch the first gold medal of the Games.
A little over an hour later Jenn Jackson made it double gold for Canada with an even more emphatic victory, crossing nearly three minutes in front of Catalina Kossmann.
“I just got to the front set my pace and just tried to have a really calm ride. It was perfect,” said Jackson. “It feels like a perfect day.
“There’s just that little bit of (motivation), seeing one of your friends, someone you grew up riding with achieve the best result they could here. It just made me believe it’s my turn.”
While the Kossmanns provided a positive start for the hosts on the medal table to add to the energy generated from Friday’s inspiring opening ceremonies it was not enough to stir the locals into action.
Organisers have boasted that ticket sales for the two-week multi-sport competition have been brisk but on Day One attendance was sparse around Parque Estadio Nacional, the sprawling main competition hub and venue for 14 events.
Skateboarding has been marked as a sellout but for the women’s street final there were more photographers and media looking on as Olympic silver medallist Jhulia Leal led a Brazilian one-two on the podium ahead of twice world champion team mate Pamela Rosa.
The Brazilians were the clear class of the field and Leal was so relaxed that the 15-year-old was spotted checking her mobile phone and appeared to be texting as she waited to drop in.
It was not long until Pan Am Games powerhouse United States assumed its place at the top of medal table, Sagen Maddalena taking gold in the 10 metre air rifle and Kaitlyn Reclusado in the taekwondo poomsae while over in the pool Paige Madden touched first in the women’s 400m freestyle.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Santiago, Editing by Ed Osmond)
