March 20, 2019 - 12:06 PM
ALBANY, N.Y. - At least three Canadians will compete for Team Americas at the inaugural Aurora Games, an all-women's sports and entertainment festival this summer.
The event announced Wednesday that rising Canadian tennis star Bianca Andreescu will be on Team Americas, using her name to headline a press release three days after the 18-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won the BNP Paribas Open.
Beach volleyball players Sarah Pavan of Kitchener, Ont., and Melissa Humana-Paredes of Toronto also are scheduled to compete Aug. 20-25.
The event will include about 175 athletes in a Team Americas versus Team World format. Sports are tennis, gymnastics, figure skating, ice hockey and beach volleyball.
Andreescu, whose family is from Romania, will be going up against Romanian gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci, the honorary team captain for Team World. Track star Jackie Joyner-Kersee will guide Team Americas.
The Aurora Games are just before the U.S. Open, the final tennis major of the season, in nearby New York.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2019