Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Spring 2015 | Page 33

debuts: women’s rugby sevens (also a new addition to the Rio Olympics in 2016), canoe-kayak slalom (slated for a natural whitewater course at Minden Hills), women’s baseball and golf. The Games will also see the return of men’s softball. On the Parapan Am side, spectators can for the first time watch wheelchair rugby, while football 7-a-side makes its return. The Games will draw top international athletes, nearly half of whom will be women, in a variety of sports. TORONTO 2015 will have 19 disciplines offering either direct or indirect Olympic qualification — more than at any previous Pan American Games. Star swimmer Natalie Coughlin heralds what is expected to be a serious splash by the U.S. swim team. Major league baseball Photo by Grace Chiu/GraceClick. six star magazine 31