Richard Dalton of Canada pictured here competing in the Men's C1 500 meter semi-final at the 2004 Olympic Games.ARMANDO FRANCA/The Associated Press
Canadian paddlers were as good as gold at the Pan American Games on Saturday.
Richard Dalton took top honours for Canada's canoe team at the Pan Am Games, then kayakers Ryan Cochrane and Hugues Fournel also won a gold medal.
The 32-year-old Dalton, a native of Halifax, won the C1 200-metre race in 40.333 seconds.
Nivalter De Jesus of Brazil took the silver in 40.619, while Roleysi Baez (41.403) of Cuba captured bronze.
"It was another very intense battle," Dalton said. "I haven't taken one second off since I made this team because I knew how tough my competition was.
"I didn't leave anything to chance, so I'm very happy with the result."
The win earned Canada a spot in the men's C1 200-metre event at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Cochrane, from Windsor, Ont., and Fournel, a native of Pointe-Claire, Que., took the gold medal in the men's K2 200-metre kayak race in 32.375.
"Usually, we would have rested after the world championships, but we just kept going," Cochrane said. "Everything just came together. We did what we would always do and it just worked."
Argentina's Miguel Correa and Ruben Voizard-Resola was right behind them, earning silver in 32.494, while Brazil's Givago Ribeiro and Gilvan Ribeiro took bronze with a time of 32.902.
Canada collected a silver in the men's water polo final. Kevin Graham scored twice and Dusko Dakic had a single in a 7-3 loss to the United States.
The win earns the U.S. a berth to London 2012 while Canada will play in an Olympic qualifying tournament in Edmonton next April.
Later Saturday, Bujold, from Kitchener, Ont., won the second women's boxing gold for Canada in as many days with an 11-5 victory over Colombia's Ingrid Valencia in 51-kilogram division. Teammate Mary Spencer won gold in the 75-kilo division on Friday.
"I've been calling our Canadian women's team the female version of the (powerful) Cuban team," Bujold said. "We've been doing so well and we made a lot of history this week."
In fencing, Ainsley Switzer of Ajax, Ont., Sherraine Schalm of Brooks, Alta., Daria Jorquera of Winnipeg and Sandra Sassine of Montreal settled for silver after losing 45-36 to the U.S. in the women's team epee final.
In diving, Emilie Heymans of Greenfield Park, Que., and Jennifer Abel and Laval, Que., won silver in the women's synchronized three-metre platform event with 336.30 points. Mexico's Paola Espinosa and Laura Sanchez won gold with 338.70 points.
Canada collected a silver in the men's water polo final. Kevin Graham scored twice and Dusko Dakic had a single in a 7-3 loss to the United States.
The win earns the U.S. a berth to London 2012 while Canada will play in an Olympic qualifying tournament in Edmonton next April.
Canada entered the day with 110 medals (26 gold, 35 silver, 49 bronze) and was fifth overall behind the United States (220), Brazil (128), Cuba (124) and Mexico (120).