Forward Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe was among the 12 players named to the Canadian women’s basketball team that will compete in the Summer Olympics starting Friday in Rio de Janeiro.
The 24-year-old Raincock-Ekunwe has strong ties to the Okanagan, as she graduated from Kalamalka Secondary School and her mother, Denny Raincock, resides in Penticton.
She spent much of the early part of the summer training in Penticton.
Canada, ranked ninth in the FIBA women’s world rankings, has been placed in Group B, which includes the No. 1-ranked gold-medal favourites U.S.A.
Canada opens the tournament Saturday against China, then plays every other day against group rivals Serbia, Senegal, U.S.A. and Spain.
To warm up for Rio, Canada took part in the four-country USA Basketball Showcase, which they concluded with a 71-63 win over fourth-ranked France at Madison Square Gardens in New York.
Raincock-Ekunwe started for Canada and finished with eight points in 26 minutes played.
She scored five points in 19 minutes in an 80-67 loss to second-ranked Australia in Newark, Del., and scored two points in 15 minutes of floor time in an 83-43 defeat to the U.S. in Bridgeport, Conn.
The six-foot-two Raincock-Ekunwe, who turns 25 Aug. 29, will be continuing her professional career this fall with the Bendigo Spirit of the Australian women’s league.
She led the Kalamalka Lakers to the 2009 B.C. High School Girls AA Basketball Championship, then went on to play four years at Simon Fraser University.
Vernon's Vasek Pospisil will compete in his second Olympic Games starting this weekend in Brazil. - Tennis Canada Photo
Vernon’s Vasek Pospisil and partner Daniel Nestor begin play Saturday in Rio in men’s doubles tennis.
Pospisil, who won Wimbledon men’s doubles with American partner Jack Sock in 2014, is taking part in his second straight Olympic Games.
Nestor is appearing in his sixth consecutive Olympics. He teamed with Sebastien Lareau in 2000 in Sydney to win Canada’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in tennis.
Pospisil and Nestor are seeded seventh and will open up against a team from New Zealand. They are on the same side of the draw as second-seeded Andy and Jamie Murray of Great Britain.
Pospisil will also play singles and opens against France’s Gael Monfils, the sixth seed.
The two met last week at the Rogers Cup in Toronto with Monfils winning in three sets.
“It will be tough,” said Pospisil to Tennis Canada. “I played a great first set against Monfils last week and let it get away from me in the second set. I will try to produce the same level I did in the first set and carry that through but it will be an exciting match.”
Vernon's Sarah Mehain has been nominated to Canada's team for the Paralympic Games in Brazil in September. - Swimming Canada Photo
Vernon’s Sarah Mehain will compete in her second Paralympics, set for Rio from Sept. 7 to 18.
Mehain, who has cerebral palsy and is hemiplegic, which causes one side of her body to be weaker than the other and not as coordinated, was one of 22 swimmers nominated to Team Canada by Swimming Canada and the Canadian Paralympic Committee that will compete in Rio in September.
She is one of eight swimmers nominated with prior Games experience.
Mehain, 21, swam at the 2012 London Paralympics, making the finals in four of her six events.
Mehain, who now lives in Montreal where she competes for McGill University under coaches Peter Carpenter and Mike Thompson, had a great year in 2015.
She had three top-five performances, including a bronze medal swim in the 50-metre butterfly, at the IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow.
Then Mehain added four podium finishes, including gold in the 50-fly, at the Parapan American Games in Toronto.