Stephanie Chan, of Vancouver, as shown in this handout image provided by the Canadian Paralympic Committee, won a five-set thriller in preliminary round action Friday to advance to the semifinals in women’s singles in table tennis action at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Canadian Paralympic Committee
**MANDATORY CREDIT **
SANTIAGO, Chile – Vancouver table tennis player Stephanie Chan won Canada’s first medal at the Parapan American Games on Saturday.
Chan, Canada’s oldest athlete in Santiago at 66, clinched a bronze medal when she lost her S6-7 combined class semifinal match to Giselle Munoz of Spain 11-1, 11-4, 11-3 on the official first day of competition.
Munoz will meet Claudia Perez of Mexico in the gold-medal match.
Chan, who is scheduled to undergo heart surgery when she returns to Canada, is now a six-time medallist at the Parapan Am Games, including one gold, two silver, and three bronze.
She can add to her medal haul later this week when she competes in mixed doubles with Asad Hussain Syed of Toronto.
Canada has a total of 135 athletes at the Games, competing in 14 different sports, The Games continue until Nov. 26.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 18, 2023.
