Canadian rhythmic gymnast Bezzoubenko wins silver in clubs event at Pan Am Games

TORONTO – Canadian rhythmic gymnast Patricia Bezzoubenko won a silver medal in the clubs competition at the Pan Am Games on Monday.

Her score of 15.933 was just behind American Laura Zeng, who led the eight-athlete field at the Toronto Coliseum with 16.167 points. American Jasmine Kerber took the bronze with a score of 15.833.

Canada later added a bronze in the clubs/hoops group competition with 13.709 points. The Americans took gold (14.983) and Brazil won silver (14.692).

Bezzoubenko, from Thornhill, Ont., just missed the podium in the ribbon competition with a fourth-place finish. She won a bronze medal in the all-around competition on Saturday.

Zeng won her second gold of the day with a score of 16.267 in the ribbon final. Kerber won silver (15.992) and Brazil’s Angelica Kvieczynski took the bronze (15.633).

Bezzoubenko’s coach appealed the difficulty score and after a brief inquiry, her point total went up slightly but the order of finish remained the same. Carmen Whelan of Aurora, Ont., was seventh in both individual finals.

Bezzoubenko won five gold medals for Canada at the Commonwealth Games last year in Glasgow. The field is deeper at this event with the powerhouse Americans and a different mix of countries in the field.

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