PanAm Games - Sao Paulo 2012

Australia’s contingent at the Pan America Games in Sao Paulo enjoyed an impressive week of sporting action, with Team Australia reaching at least the semi-finals in each sport contested.

The Green and Gold’s small but spirited squad, one of 16 countries in Brazil for South America’s Jewish sporting competition, picked up three gold medals, nine silver medals and four bronze medals.

Read on for our wrap of the Pan America Games, attended from 21 December 2011-4 January 2012.

SPORT BY SPORT HIGHLIGHTS

FOOTBALL

4-0 to Argentina wasn’t the way it was supposed to end for our Australian womens football team, but it should not take the gloss off the girls’ efforts in Sao Paulo. In making the bronze medal play-off, they were competitive in spades in every single match, and importantly, have made giant strides as they target Israel in 2013.

TENNIS

Masters tennis player Paul Ehrlich was the last man standing for Team Australia, wrapping up the sporting action by claiming silver in the masters mens doubles final alongside his Argentine partner.

The second-placed finish was Paul's fourth medal of the Games, and wrapped a stellar tournament for Australia on the court - where Paul and David Sofaer won gold together, and both also claimed silver in their singles matches. Lauren, with Paul, took home bronze in the masters mixed doubles and Noah also takes a bronze back with him.

SWIMMING

Trevor Wainstein might be leaving Sao Paulo with six medals around his neck, but even he is the first to laugh at the level of competition at masters swimming level.

Rather, Trevor leaves with even more friendships than medals – and a new world Maccabi record with a story well worth telling.

GOLF

Harry Procel is better known as our former Maccabi Australia president and the Head of Delegation to the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel.

But Harry rested the administrative notepad this week and showed he’s pretty handy with a golf club too, claiming his first international Maccabi gold medal with a win in the masters net individual event on Friday, while adding to his kitty with a silver in the masters team event.

TABLE TENNIS

Australia’s international Maccabi stalwart Sam Parasol leaves the Pan America Games with two bronze medals in the table tennis event.

Parasol, who also sits on the Maccabi Australia board, picked up his medals in the masters’ singles, and in the opens teams event, alongside his Canadian and American teammates.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

It’s hard to imagine Team Australia at the Pan America Games without Arthur Bobrow and Danny Skrabal, who finished fourth in their competition.

The dynamic beach volleyball duo infected the side with their personality, attracted boisterous crowds to their court, injected good old Aussie spirit into Team Australia - and played their part on the sidelines in every other sport.

To re-live our journey in Sao Paulo, visit our news archive to follow all the action as it happened.