SANTIAGO, Chile — His was the brightest smile and his was the widest grin. He displayed the most power-charged fist pumps and gave the tightest hugs. He nearly toppled over, attempting to embrace teammates on the left sideline. He nearly collided with postgame media on his celebratory sprint to the locker room. 

Charles Aoki and Team USA had done it — Gold at the 2023 Parapan American Games. Its 57-51 win over Canada erased a loss to its bitter rivals just two days prior. More importantly, this victory cemented a spot for the United States in the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics. 

“We’re going to enjoy this,” Aoki said. “There are only so many moments like this you get in your life so we’re going to enjoy this. We’re going to really enjoy this.”

Riding Aoki’s team-high 28 tries and a newly constructed gameplan, the U.S. never trailed in the final. It opened up a two-try lead by the end of the first period, an advantage that consistently grew. Gone was the “sloppy” ball-handling that translated to six turnovers on Tuesday, replaced by aggressive double-teams in the frontcourt, resulting in five steals and a relentless slew of attacks. 

“It’s a huge win for our program,” Team USA head coach Joe Delagrave said. “What we’re building here, I’m just so proud of the guys. I’m proud of how they responded, proud of how they trusted the process and trusted the game plan. It was great.” 

The tone of the contest early on — one that had carried over from their first meeting — was to not make a mistake. Given the level of skill on both sides, one too many errors meant an early path to a likely insurmountable deficit. 

Less than three minutes into the opening quarter, Canada committed its first. Desperate to wriggle out of a swarming triple-team, opposition star Zachary Madell was stuck in the left corner. Surrounded by swiping arms, he recklessly attempted a cross-court pass which Team USA’s Sarah Adam picked off. 

A quick one-two with Aoki ensued before Adam wheeled past the goal line, untouched, to put the U.S. up 3-1, quickly canceling out an already redundant back-and-forth rhythm that had settled in. 

The second errant Canadian possession, which provided the U.S. with a 14-11 cushion, came with 44.9 seconds remaining in the first. Racing down the court, Aoki caught up with Madell to halt his attack. Given no reinforcements in the final third, Madell overthrew Cody Caldwell on a toss backward. Adam scooped up the loose ball and assisted Mason Symons for a point.  

The first signs of an emotional Aoki arrived at the 5:31 mark in the second quarter. Ahead 19-16, a smothering United States defense had forced Canada to call a timeout on an inbounds play. He flexed and yelled, overcome by a glimpse at victory. 

“We executed really well and I think it’s the first game, Quarter 1-to-Quarter 4, where we played really well throughout the whole game,” Aoki said. “You put together a good game like that, you’re going to win a lot.”

Canada’s costly turnovers boosted Team USA, leading to an increase of energy-driven possessions. Hard screens were put in place, freeing Adam to scamper down either sideline for an easy score, and Aoki never showed hesitation in plowing through double-teams to extend the U.S.’s lead. 

Throughout much of the second half, Canada urgently sped up its tempo amid a dwindling game clock, but couldn’t close the gap. It found no answer for Aoki or Adam, and failed to conjure up a second option to help Madell, who finished with a game-high 36 tries in the loss. 

The United States had figured it out — utilizing a far more aggressive brand of rugby. Like Delagrave said, Team USA “trusted the process,” and heeded Aoki’s challenge for it to “refocus” and persevere through the adversity of Tuesday’s loss. And now, with a ticket booked for the upcoming Paralympics, the U.S. is excited for its next round of tryouts and competition, but tonight is about celebration. 

“We’ve got a long road to go to Paris, still, but we’ll certainly enjoy this,” Aoki said. “I think if you don’t enjoy these things, there’s no point in doing these.” 

For more photos from this event, click here