Team: Canadian national women’s squad

Sport: Rugby sevens

What’s their story?

Canada is coming off a terrific season in the 2014–15 World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series, where they finished second in the world, just 12 points behind Series champion New Zealand, and earned automatic qualification for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio. Canada finished no lower than third at five of the six World Series stops and won their first ever tournament at the Amsterdam Sevens in May.

Biggest rival

On the world stage, it’s likely New Zealand or Australia, but at the Pan Ams it will without question be the United States. Canada and the U.S. are the only two teams at the tournament ranked in the top six in the world, making a showdown in the gold medal game likely. Canada had the Americans’ number over the Sevens Series season, winning four of the five meetings between the two teams. But every game was highly competitive and the final four were all decided by seven points or less. Whenever the cross-border rivals meet, anything can happen.

Players to watch

Jen Kish The 26-year-old from Edmonton is the team’s captain and one of best female sevens players in the world.

Ghislaine Landry The Toronto native led the Sevens Series in points with 301 and is a constant threat to score.

Magali Harvey The Quebec City speedster is best known for being named IRB Women’s Player of the Year in 2014 after her magnificent try at the World Cup; her sevens career has been tumultuous on occasion (she has been left off the team at times and often comes off the bench) but she’s one of the fastest players in the world and when she has the ball in hand, look out.

Prediction

Canada narrowly edges the United States to win gold.