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Henderson stands alone as most decorated Canada Games athlete

2017 Canada Summer Games –

Photo Credit: Scott grant

Winnipeg – Hanna Henderson of Ontario won two gold medals at the Pan Am Pool in Winnipeg Friday night to break the record for most medals won by an athlete at a single Canada Games with 11.

 Henderson’s historic feat was reached with yet another strong performance on Friday night. She began the night with a gold in the girls 50-m backstroke in a time of 29.57 and then she capped off the night with yet another gold medal alongside her teammates in the 4×100-m medley relay.

“After my first race tonight, I walked back and Joni told me I got the record and I almost started crying, I was so happy,” said Henderson. “All my teammates were there and they were so proud. It was amazing.”

The accomplishment is just a glimpse of what’s next for Henderson.

“It gives me hope that I can get to that next level and that’s what this meet means to me,” she added. “I’m trying to get to the next level.”

Ontario’s Grayson Bernard took home three medals tonight, including two gold, to bring his total up to 10 and tying Alberta’s Cole Pratt for the lead in the male category. Bernard put up a time of 26.70 in the boys 50-m backstroke on his way to his first gold medal of the night. He followed that up with a silver in the 200-m individual medley and concluded the night on the top of the podium with his teammates celebrating the gold medal victory from the night’s final event, the 4×100-m medley relay.

“When we finished the relay last night, it was a big relief to have all of that pressure off my shoulders and I was happy to finish the meet on such a positive note,” Bernard said.

When asked about the significance of winning 10 medals, he replied: “It just shows that I can make Ontario proud and my family proud. I just want to represent what it really means to be an athlete. The Canada Games has been a huge confidence booster.”

Cole Pratt added two medals of his own tonight to reach the mark of 10. His first of the night came in the boys 200 IM, where he won gold with a time of 2:05.26, establishing a Canadian age group (13-14) record. Pratt then swam the backstroke leg of the 4×100 medley relay for Alberta who earned the silver medal.

“I’m at a loss for words, it’s incredible and I’m just really happy right now,” Pratt responded when asked about the moment and what it means to him.

Bailey Herbert of British Columbia set a Canada Games record in the girls 200-m IM with a time of 2:18.27. The mark was a personal best time for her. Herbert was also a member of the BC relay team that earned the bronze medal in tonight’s 4×100 medley relay.

In long-distance action, Dommann Raben took tonight’s boys 1500-m freestyle while Emma O’Croinin won the girls 800-m free. Both Raben and O’Croinin have displayed long-distance prowess this week, sweeping the field in distance events. They will look to close out the Canada Games with victories in the 5 km open water tomorrow.

Saskatchewan’s Shelby Newkirk capped off her strong competition with two additional gold medals tonight in the women’s 50-m freestyle and the 200-m individual medley Para-swimming multi-class category. Newkirk finished with four gold and six total medals.

In the men’s Para-swimming action, Tyson MacDonald earned his fourth and fifth gold medals tonight as he topped the podium in the men’s 50 free and the 200m IM.

Jesse Shade concluded the competition as he started it. He has been dominant all week and Friday night was no exception, earning the gold medal and another Canada Games record in the men’s 50-m freestyle.

Additional gold medal winners from Friday night include Oksana Chaput in the girls 50 free, Tyler Wall in the boys 50 free, and Myriam Vézina in the women’s 50 free Special Olympics category.

The Canada Summer Games continue through Saturday at the Pan Am Pool and are being webcast at HERE.

Full results are available online at the following LINK.