SANTIAGO, Chile—Melissa Bratic completed a medal hat trick for Canada’s karate athletes at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

The 24-year-old jumped onto the podium at her first Pan American Games medal, taking the bronze in the women’s -68kg weight class on the ultimate stage for karate athletes.

“Overall, I am very happy with the results,” said Bratic, who hails from the Toronto area. “A couple of matches I felt like I was really on, and a couple I wasn’t quite where I wanted to be.”

That described a 2-1 round robin record that secured Bratic a date in the semifinals. Bratic’s dreams of a gold-medal bout were dashed by Colombia’s Wendy Mosquera Riascos who dropped the Canadian 4-0 on the final day of the 2023 Pan American Games.

“The whole experiece has been amazing. We are taken such great care of and have access to everything we need so a huge thank you to Team Canada,” said Bratic. “I need to thank everyone back home, my family and of course Daniel. They are always there for name and were so important in me being here.”

Nova Scotia’s Ryan O’Neill also hit the Tatami on Sunday. The Halifax resident put down solid performances despite losing all three bouts in the men’s –75kg class by one point each.

Canada’s karate athletes return home with a trio of medals. Montreal’s Yamina Lahyanssa snagged a silver medal in the women’s -50kg kumite division. Claudia Laos-Loo, of Surrey, B.C., was the first Canuck on the karate podium in Chile, winning bronze in women’s kata.

Complete Results: https://results-santiago2023.org/#/schedule/daily/2023-11-03