Anna 
Competing at the XXVII YONEX Pan Am Individual Championships this past weekend, Varsity Blues badminton standout Jackie Dent made a statement on the international stage by capturing silver in women’s doubles in her debut at the senior Pan Am event.
Dent, a recent OUA all-star and national champion with the University of Toronto, partnered with Crystal Lai to represent Team Canada in a strong women’s doubles field. The pair impressed in their first outing together at this level, winning three straight matches to reach the gold medal final.
The Canadian duo began their campaign with a dominant 21-11, 21-7 win over the United States, followed by a 21-12, 21-1 victory against Mexico in the quarter-finals. Dent and Lai then advanced to the championship match with a convincing 21-10, 21-8 semifinal win over Brazil.
In the final, they faced the top-seeded American pair of Allison Lee and Lauren Lam. Despite a valiant effort, Dent and Lai fell 21-11, 21-13 to take home the silver medal.
Varsity Blues Alumni Add to Team Canada’s Medal Count
Team Canada, which finished with 11 medals at the event, also featured a trio of U of T alumni who made their mark in multiple events.
Four-time Olympian Michelle Li earned bronze in women’s singles, while 2018-19 OUA MVP Jonathan Lai secured two podium finishes: a silver in mixed doubles with Crystal Lai and a bronze in men’s doubles with partner Nyl Yakura.
What’s Next for Team Canada
Looking ahead, Canada’s top shuttlers will compete at the TotalEnergies BWF Sudirman Cup Finals 2025 in China this May. Canada has been placed in Pool B and will square off against Chinese Taipei, Czechia, and Korea in the prestigious international team competition.
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