Canada's women's team poses during media day on Wednesday, ahead of the Flag Football World Championships, the sport's first Olympic qualifier for 2028, in Duesseldorf, Germany.Martin Meissner/The Canadian Press
Quarterback Sara Parker put on a passing clinic as Canada’s women opened the world flag football championships with two wins Thursday.
Parker completed 29 of 39 passes and threw four touchdowns in a 27-14 victory over Panama, including three to Caroline Moquin-Joubert.
Parker then completed 24 of 32 passes with four more touchdowns as Canada rolled past Brazil 36-6. Marianne Quirion and Frédérique Morneau each scored two touchdowns.
Canada’s men opened with a 26-6 win over Austria. Michael O’Connor completed 19 of 24 passes for four touchdowns. The men improved to 2-0 after being awarded a victory over Nigeria, which withdrew because of visa issues.
Both Canadian teams continue preliminary-round action against Japan on Friday.
The top two finishers in each tournament will qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. If the already-qualified United States reaches the final, the top three teams will earn Olympic berths.