Former Irvine Valley badminton star Eva Lee made history for USA Badminton last week on the final day of the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as she won two more gold medals (ladies singles and mixed doubles) to bring her gold medal total to three (women’s doubles yesterday), the most ever for a USA Badminton athlete at the Pan American Games, according to usoc.org.
The entire USA team also set a record with seven total medals, also the most ever for a USA Badminton team at a Pan American Games.
Lee starting things on the final day by sweeping Charmaine Reid of Canada in the ladies singles finals two games to none (21-14; 21-18).
"The singles is the one I’m most proud of because I don’t have any partners out there to help me," said Lee. "I feel like I depend on my partners a lot in doubles, so this one I won entirely on my own. It feels like I’m up in the clouds. My heart can’t stop beating!"
The 20-year-old American followed that up an hour later winning the mixed doubles crown with partner Howard Bach.
Lee and Bach also took on Canada in the mixed doubles final. Bach and Lee matched up against Valerie Loker and Mike Beres. The match also pitted the women’s singles champion (Lee) against the men’s singles champion (Beres).
Lee was thrilled to win three gold medals and is anticipating seeing her parents when she returns home.
"Actually I made a deal with my parents that if I won three gold medals they would get me a new cell phone," said Lee. "We don’t’ get much money for winning, especially compared to countries like Peru, Guatelmala and all of the other countries. They get $50,000 for winning (one gold) and I get a cell phone, but I have to win three (gold). My new phone is going to be a Sony Ericsson that isn’t out yet."
In the women's doubles finals,
second seeds Eva Lee and Mesinee Mangkalakiri defeated Canada's top pair of Fiona McKee and Reid, 21-14, 21-15.
Lee captured both the individual singles and individual doubles crowns at the California Community Colleges Commission on Athletes Women’s Badminton Championships presented by U.S. Bank, including a dominating performance in the singles final at Pasadena City College, for Irvine Valley in 2006.