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Small Bulkley Valley BC 55+ games contingent achieves big results

Three athletes from Telkwa and Smithers earn eight gold and two silver medals
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Canadian women’s 75 pole vault record holder Virginia Hoover. Chris Gareau photo

Only three Bulkley Valley athletes participated in the 55+ BC Games in Victoria Sept. 13 to 17, but their medal haul was indicative of a much bigger contingent.

In total, Virginia Hoover (Telkwa), Bob Currie (Telkwa) and Jim McGregor (Smithers) brought home 10 medals, eight gold and two silver.

Hoover dominated in her track and field events taking first place in the weight throw, triple jump, hammer throw and throws pentathlon for the women’s 80-84 age group.

The Telkwa octogenarian also earned second place finishes in the discus and long jump events.

Currie went two for two in his two track events, capturing gold in the men’s 65 - 69 1500-metre race walk and 5000-metre power walk.

Currie was also part of the Zone 11 (Bulkley-Valley Lakes Nechako) gold medal-winning 55-59 4x400-metre powerwalk relay team.

In golf, McGregor took low net in Flight F among the 55+ men.

Zone 11 achieved a total of 19 medals, with two men from Burns Lake, Shawn McMahon and Dough Montaldi accounting for two golds and seven silvers. Zone 11 finished in 11th place out of the 13 zones.

Zone 10 (North West), which includes Terrace, Kitimat and Prince Rupert was eighth overall with a 33 medals including 11 gold, nine silver and 13 bronze.

The Games, held for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic attracted more than 2,500 athletes in 26 different events.



Thom Barker

About the Author: Thom Barker

After graduating with a geology degree from Carleton University and taking a detour through the high tech business, Thom started his journalism career as a fact-checker for a magazine in Ottawa in 2002.
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