North Vancouver’s Raben Dommann led the way for Team B.C., literally, at the Canada Summer Games which wrapped up Sunday in Winnipeg.
The 16-year-old swimmer won eight medals in the pool, including five golds, before being named as the province’s flag bearer for the closing ceremony. Dommann dominated the men’s distance races, winning gold in the 400-metre, 800-m, 1,500-m and 5,000-m freestyle as well as the 4x200-m relay. Dommann also claimed silver in the 4x100-m freestyle relay and bronze in the 4x100-m medley relay and 200-m freestyle.
“I’m just thankful that I was chosen by Team B.C. and that the swim team supported me,” Dommann said in a Team B.C. release. “I’m really proud to be from B.C. so this is really exciting for me.”
The Chena Swim Club member was born in South Africa and also spent part of his childhood in Australia before moving to North Vancouver at age 9. It was more than just his medal haul that earned him the honour of holding the flag for the province, said Team B.C. Chef de Mission Rob Needham.
“Raben was a tremendous leader on our swim team this week and was willing to step in any role on the team,” Needham stated in a press release. “In addition to his phenomenal podium performances, Raben’s leadership and positive attitude certainly contributed to Team B.C.’s success in the pool in Winnipeg.”
Dommann, who won three medals at the 2017 UANA Pan American Open Water Swimming Championships held in June, said he was focused on doing well in the middle distance swims at the Canada Games.
“That was my goal coming into the meet, just to get on the top of the podium for the 4, 8 and the 15. I am stoked. I couldn’t be happier.”
Dommann’s eight medals helped Team B.C. set a record for the most medals the province has ever earned at the Canada Summer Games. The 146 medals Team B.C. picked up placed them second in the standings behind Team Ontario’s 212 medals and ahead of Team Quebec’s 138 medals.
Several other North Shore athletes helped add to Team B.C.’s medal count during the games. Handsworth grad Jesse Hooton claimed gold in the men’s 5,000-m race, running a time of 14:23.59 to win by four seconds over Alberta’s Russell Pennock. Rower Julia Lindsay scored a pair of medals, winning gold in lightweight double sculls with partner Riley Knight of Nanaimo and silver in double sculls with partner McKenna Jae Simpson of Mission.
North Shore athletes also hit it big on the tennis courts, with Yasmin Mansouri and Jovan Sihota helping Team B.C. earn silver in the team competition. Both players also earned bronze in doubles action, Mansouri with her partner Sasha Vagramov of Port Moody and Sihota with his partner Aaron Diemer of Victoria.
Rower Emily Bugeja rounded out the North Shore medal haul, sailing to bronze in the double handed 29er competition with partner Hannah Smith of Surrey.
