For the next few weeks, we're pleased to bring you the Canadian handball team's tournament at the Pan-American Games in Santiago, Chile. Here's the second part.
Link to part n°1
Lien vers la version française
How was your arrival in Chile?
The transport day was quite long. It took just over 24 hours from our first flight to our arrival at the hotel in Vina del Mar! Despite the length, everything went very smoothly. The organizing committee and the Canadian Olympic Committee greatly facilitated logistics once we arrived at the airport in Santiago.
There were a few transportation issues on the first few days, but that was to be expected given the size of the event. At times, communication was difficult as many volunteers on the organizing committee spoke only Spanish. These issues were quickly resolved, thanks in part to Astrid, our attaché provided by the organizing committee, who helps us enormously on the organizational side!
We are female leaders who inspire Canadians and make handball shine in our country.
What is your analysis of your group matches?
Comments from Nathalie Brochu, head coach
Despite great preparation, we're still adjusting to the speed of the southern athletes and their exceptional footwork. This adjustment hurts us, because we often find ourselves pulling back from the start of the match. We play against these countries once every 4 years... and sometimes every 12 years like Argentina...
Our first source of pride is the preparation we've had to qualify and get to the Games. To be in the top 8 in America, when everyone else has a full-time job at home and trains like a professional, is a huge source of pride! At the end of the day, we're much more than medals or rankings; we're female leaders who inspire Canadians and make handball shine in our country.
How did you prepare for three games in three days?
We prepare for 3 games in 3 days with exemplary physical preparation! We have a serious running and weight training program that the girls follow to the letter, along with outstanding mental preparation.
What's the atmosphere like at the Pan-American Games?
The atmosphere at the Games is extraordinary. We're accommodated by the sea, the food is excellent, the volunteers are dedicated, kind and caring, and the transport is reliable every day! There are a lot of spectators, and we're not used to playing in front of so many people, so it's a real source of pride to be able to experience that!
Pictures from Federico Pancaldi