Olympic Games Preparation
Starts now for McCann

Chris Pietruczuk, Joshua Riker-Fox and Donna Vakalis also proudly represented Canada at the Pan Am Games placing 9th, 8th and 10th respectively. They will also have opportunities to qualfify for the London Olympic Games via the World Cup in 2012.

“I feel so happy, so excited and so relieved to have qualified for the 2012 Olympic Games,” said McCann. “The preparation starts now for me as I train for my first Olympic Games. I have worked so hard for this, I have a lot intensive training to do between now and the Games—but I am so ready for it. It is a dream come true.”

Continued McCann:“Getting into one of the top 4 spots here at the Pan Am Games was my goal and I am so thrilled to have achieved that and secured my Olympic spot for London. Although bringing home a Pan Am medal for Canada would have been the icing on the cake, I couldn't be happier to be booking my ticket to the Olympics."

“My Pan Am event started out a little rough because I was so nervous, but my objective was top four which I achieved. Qualifying for the Olympics was what I needed and what I wanted.”

"The competition started well, fencing for 3rd place and keeping myself there throughout the swim. I drew a particularly difficult horse, but rode well to remain in contention for those valuable top 4 spots. After battling back and forth in 5th and 6th position, I was able to run back into 4th place and hold that spot with a good shoot to go into the last lap. At that point I ran as fast as I could to make sure there was no challenge from the other competitors for my position. After crossing the line in 4th, I was in total shock that I had actually done it. I looked to my coach, John Hawes for confirmation, then to my family who were all cheering and the tears of joy started falling."

"A big thank you to my coach John Hawes who has been there with me through the good, the bad and the ugly. I truly wouldn't be booking my ticket to London if it wasn’t for him. My family and their unconditional support has also gotten me to this point. I was so lucky to have them at the Pan Am Games to experience the best moment of my life with me, they deserve it."

Melanie will be nominated to the Canadian Team by Pentathlon Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee will name Team Canada.

The tickets have already sold out for modern pentathlon at the London Olympics (July 27 to August 12). Modern pentathlon, which will be celebrating 100 years as an Olympic sport, will be held at Greenwhich Park and the Aquatic Centre.

Modern Pentathlon was championed by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, and has its origins in a 19th-century legend. The story goes that a young French cavalry officer was sent on horseback to deliver a message. To complete his mission, he had to ride, fence, shoot, swim and run – the five challenges that face competitors in Modern Pentathlon today. See London 2012 site for more info.

Pentathlon Canada is the national sport organization that governs the sport of pentathlon in Canada. Pentathlon Canada is working to develop Canada’s best pentathletes.

Pan Am results can be found at:
http://guadalajara.olympic.ca/results/?sport_results=Modern%20Pentathlon

London 2012 competition schedule:
http://www.london2012.com/olympic-schedule