RIO DE JANEIRO , Brazil – She was born in
England and grew up in South Africa .
She became a U.S. citizen on Feb. 13.
“I’m a little bit of a mutt,” Natalie
Grainger said, flashing a smile when describing where she
has been.
Her coach and teammates have a much different and much more
glowing description of Grainger, one of the favorites to
win a gold medal for Team USA in the Squash competition
at the Pan American Games.
“Natalie is just an amazing player – she has
a great chance to win this tournament,” said veteran
USA men’s player Jamie Crombie. “She’s
been a great addition to our team.”
“This is Natalie’s first major event since becoming
a U.S. citizen,” Team USA Coach Chris Walker said.
“She’s a very, very good player and I’m
excited to see what she can do.”
The Squash singles competition for women and men is set
to open Saturday at the Miecimo da Silva Sport Complex with
the finals set for Monday. The team competition will run
from July 17-19.
Grainger, who is ranked No. 5 in the world, is the player
everyone on the team was talking about Wednesday afternoon
during an interview session at the Pan American Games Athletes’
Village.
Grainger, who has lived in Washington , D.C. , the past
seven years, said she is eager to soak in the full Pan American
Games experience.
“I kind of have goose bumps right now just thinking
about how exciting the Opening Ceremonies will be (on Friday
night),” Grainger said. “I’m so excited,
I can’t wait. To be in the stadium with all those
people screaming and cheering, there’s nothing quite
like it. It’s going to be very cool. I love being
an American citizen. Having a chance to play for the U.S.
is a tremendous honor for me.”
All the talk about Grainger has overshadowed the fact that
the U.S. also features a defending Pan American Games champion
in Latasha Khan, who is the No. 2 American now behind Grainger.
Khan also won a bronze medal in the 1999 Pan Am Games.
The Americans also will rely on No. 3 singles player Michelle
Quibell, a two-time Collegiate Squash Association champion.
The U.S. is hoping to win the Pan Ams team gold for the
first time. Canada , led by Runa Reta, and Mexico , led
by Samantha Teran, also are expected to contend for the
team title.
“The Pan Am Games are a really big
event for Squash because we’re not yet an Olympic
sport,” Quibell said. “This is the big event
that we really look forward to. We’re really excited
and pumped up for this tournament.”
The men’s team is led by two youngsters
and a veteran. Julian Illingworth is the team’s No.
1 player with Christopher Gordon No. 2 and Crombie No. 3.
Illingworth is 23, Gordon is 20 and Crombie is 41.
“We think this is one our best teams ever and hopefully
we can continue to build and improve,” said Gordon,
a two-time U.S. Junior champion. “We have some good
young players and a good performance here could serve as
a springboard for our team in the future.”
Illingworth, a three-time U.S. champion,
had a similar view.
“ U.S. squash is coming up, and getting
better and better,” he said. “We’ve got
some real good players. We’re looking forward to the
challenge of this event.”
Crombie won a bronze medal for Canada in
the 1995 Pan Am Games.
“A lot of people see me and think
I’m a coach,” Crombie said with a laugh. “I’ve
managed to keep my level of play high enough to make another
team. It’s full to be a part of a great event like
this. Squash is like high-speed chess where there is a thinking
part and a part where you have to react quickly.”
The thinking part isn’t too much of
a problem for the U.S. team. Illingworth and Quibell both
graduated from Yale University in 2006.
The U.S. is seeking its first Pan Am Games
team medal in men’s Squash. Canada , led by 2003 Pan
Am Games gold medalist Shahier Razik, is one of the favorites
along with Colombia , Brazil and Mexico .
Team USA has won 10 overall medals in Squash
in the three previous Pan Am Games.
PAN AMERICAN GAMES – SQUASH SCHEDULE
July 14-15 – Singles (9 a.m.-1 p.m.; 5-9 p.m.)
July 16 – Singles (9 a.m.-6 p.m.; 7:30-9:30 p.m.)
July 17-18 – Team play (8 a.m.-11 p.m.)
July 19 – Team play (11 a.m.-8 p.m.)
