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First member of 2016 U.S. Olympic team should come from Pan American Games

The first athlete to make the 2016 U.S. Olympic team will likely qualify from the Toronto Pan American Games, a quadrennial multi-sport competition whose Opening Ceremony is Friday.

Two sports at the Pan Am Games have direct qualification to the Rio Olympics for individual athletes — modern pentathlon and table tennis.

The first Pan Am event with individual Rio Olympic spots on the line is the men’s modern pentathlon July 18. The U.S. athletes entered are 2012 Olympian Dennis Bowsher and Nathan Schrimsher.

The three highest finishers will qualify for the Rio Olympics with a maximum of one Olympic qualifier per nation.