Maclean Smith and Leslie Jackson have furthered Bermuda’s burgeoning reputation in international pickleball by claiming the Gold Medal at the 2026 Marco Island Police Foundation Pickleball Slammer.
Competing in the Women's Doubles Skill 3.000 to 3.999 division, the Bermudian duo produced a masterclass in consistency and court coverage to navigate an undefeated path to the podium. The victory comes at a time of significant growth for the sport on the island and marks another successful overseas foray for the veteran pairing.
Smith and Jackson set the tone for their campaign in the opening rounds at the Marco Island YMCA. They made light work of their first opponents, Cheryl Van Klingeren and Samantha Bagdasarian, with a clinical 11-3 victory, before repeating that exact scoreline in the second round against Sandra Marshall and Jennifer Dayton. Their momentum showed no signs of slowing in the third round, where they recorded an 11-4 win over the pairing of Lynlee and Laiklyn Dunigan.
The Semi-Finals presented a different challenge against Jacqueline and Julianne Rudemiller, but the Bermudians remained unfazed. Their chemistry and tactical shot-making proved too much for the Rudemillers, as Smith and Jackson cruised to an 11-3 win to book their place in the championship match.
The final saw a rematch against Marshall and Dayton, who had battled through the elimination bracket for a second shot at the Bermudian pair. While the gold medal match proved to be the most competitive contest of the tournament, Smith and Jackson maintained their composure during the critical exchanges. They eventually closed out the match 11-7 to secure the title and the gold medal.
The result follows a string of recent successes for Jackson, who also claimed gold at the Cayman Islands Open late last year.
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