Sister act gets Manitoba rolling at Summer Games

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This article was published 09/08/2022 (1472 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SISTERS Mia and Halle West helped Manitoba finish Day 2 of competition at the Canada Summer Games with a flourish Monday night.

Mia West, a 16-year-old from Winnipeg, earned the province’s first gold medal by winning swimming’s 200-metre butterfly event in a time of 2:17.78.

Meanwhile, 14-year-old Halle West claimed a bronze medal in the 50-metre breaststroke.

Selkirk’s Teagen Purvis, 19, capped a big day in the pool by winning a silver medal in 50-metre breaststroke Special Olympics event with a time of 54.21.

East St. Paul’s Anja Krueger crashed during the women’s sprint triathlon but immediately hopped back on her bike to rally for a silver medal in windy and rainy conditions.

The 19-year-old crossed the line in 1:06.32 to claim Manitoba’s first medal of the Games. Her finish was just 16 seconds behind gold medallist Colette Reimer of Victoria, B.C.

“It was raining and it was really, really windy and so the roads were super slippery,” said Krueger by telephone. “We knew to be careful because a lot of the guys had crashed out and they had competed before us, so I was trying to be careful and we had like medics every corner telling us to slow down. But I think once I did a few corners I got a little too confident and I went down.”

Krueger, a freestyle swimmer for the UBC Thunderbirds, had hoped for a better start but emerged from the 750-metre swim in third place. She crashed on the third lap of the 20-kilometre bike leg and started the five-kilometre run in seventh place at the Welland International Flatwater Centre.

“I passed quite a few people on the run and that was kind of what what got me to where I finished,” said Krueger. “I would say the bike is the weakest aspect of the sport and I kind of knew I might not be exactly where I want it to be at the front after the bike but I know I have a decent run.”

Krueger said she avoided serious injury and her bike was also largely unscathed.

“I have road rash but nothing serious,” she said with a laugh. “I’m pretty pleased with how it went. I think I don’t think there’s anything else I could have really done other than maybe have been a little more careful on the corner but considering I was a minute and 10 (seconds) down coming off the bike I didn’t have much time to (recover). To make up that much time on the run was just a spectacular run for me.”

Addy Champagne was 16th with a clocking of 1:14:06 and fellow Winnipegger Natalie Fournier was 19th in 1:16:31.

Krueger has two more chances to medal at the Games, including Thursday’s super sprint event (300-metre swim, 10-kilometre bike and mile run) and Friday’s mixed relay.

“She should be quite competitive,” said Triathlon Manitoba head coach Gary Pallett. “It’s hard to say (how well she’ll do) because she hasn’t done a lot of racing.”

In the men’s sprint event, Winnipeg’s Blake Harris completed the course in 59:36 to finish sixth overall in a race marred by crashes involving 15 of the 29 competitors. Harris avoided a mishap on the bike.

Winnipeg’s Cole Buxton (1:03:51) and Ben Szwajcer (1:08:55) finished 13th and 22nd, respectively.

Elsewhere on Monday, it was:

n In female softball, Abbi Conrad went 3-for-3 with a triple, two singles and three RBI to lead Manitoba to a 10-0 win in five innings over Nova Scotia.

Janique Balcaen went 3-for-4 and two RBI for Manitoba. Winning pitcher Alexa Guilford allowed three hits in five innings.

n In women’s basketball, Manitoba opened preliminary round action with a 101-28 decision over Northwest Territories. In men’s action, Manitoba drubbed P.E.I. 103-55.

n Beach volleyball got underway with the Manitoba men’s team of Isaiah Olfert and Justin Cross dropping a 21-11, 21-17 decision to B.C.

In women’s action, Manitoba’s duo of Val Gonzalez and Erika Vermette lost 21-19, 21-17 to Alberta.

n In women’s rugby sevens, Manitoba lost 24-5 to Newfoundland and Labrador and 50-0 to P.E.I.

n In women’s box lacrosse, Kaitlynn Anderson of Winnipeg scored two goals and added an assist in Manitoba’s 8-1 win over P.E.I. The win improved Manitoba’s preliminary round record to 3-0.

— staff