2019 PAN AMERICAN GAMES
- Villa Deportiva Nacional – Videna, Lima, Peru
- Tuesday, August 6th – Saturday, August 10th (pool swimming)
- Prelims 11 AM / Finals 8:30 PM (local time/US Central Time)
- Official Website
- Entry List
- Live Results
The penultimate finals session from Lima will feature the men’s and women’s 50 freestyle, 400 IM, and 4×200 free relays.
Among the highlights will be Brazilian Bruno Fratus going for his first career individual Pan Am gold medal in the men’s 50 after winning back-to-back silvers in 2011 and 2015, Mary-Sophie Harvey and Tessa Cieplucha looking to give Canada their first gold medal of the competition in the women’s 400 IM, and Brandonn Almeida aiming to repeat in the men’s medley.
In the women’s 4×200 free, the U.S. is going with Claire Rasmus, Alex Walsh, Sarah Gibson and Meaghan Raab, while the men will lineup Drew Kibler, Grant House, Sam Pomajevich and Chris Wieser.
The Brazilian men bring a loaded lineup that features Luiz Melo, Fernando Scheffer, Joao de Lucca and Breno Correia.
For a full preview of tonight’s session, click here.
WOMEN’S 50 FREE FINAL
- World Record: 23.67, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017
- Pan Am Record: 24.31, Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (BAH), 2015
- 2015 champ: 24.31, Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (BAH)
- Etiene Medeiros (BRA), 24.88
- Margo Geer (USA), 25.03
- Madison Kennedy (USA), 25.14
Brazilian Etiene Medeiros claims gold in the women’s 50 free in a time of 24.88, moving up one spot on the podium after winning silver four years ago in Toronto. The 28-year-old, who has been as fast as 24.53 this year, now has four medals here in Lima.
Margo Geer and Madison Kennedy gave the U.S. two swimmers on the podium in second and third, clocking times of 25.03 and 25.14 respectively.
Geer has been 24.78 this season, while Kennedy was only 0.02 off her 2019 best of 25.12.
Lorrane Ferreira of Brazil and Kyla Leibel of Canada tied for forth in 25.52.
MEN’S 50 FREE FINAL
- World Record: 20.91, Cesar Cielo (BRA), 2009
- Pan Am Record: 21.58 Cesar Cielo (BRA), 2011
- 2015 champ: 21.86, Josh Schneider (USA)
- Bruno Fratus, BRA, 21.61
- Nathan Adrian, USA, 21.87
- Michael Chadwick, USA, 21.99
After back-to-back silvers Bruno Fratus is the Pan Am Games champion in the men’s 50 free, registering a time of 21.61 to narrowly miss Cesar Cielo‘s 2011 meet record of 21.58.
The now 30-year-old was the runner-up behind Cielo in Guadalajara and then repeated that finish four years ago in Toronto trailing American Josh Schneider.
Fratus is the second-fastest swimmer in the world this year with a time of 21.31, and won silver at the World Championships last month.
Nathan Adrian of the United States picks up a second individual silver in a time of 21.87, putting him on the U.S. National Team in the event and giving him 11 consecutive years under 22 seconds.
His teammate Michael Chadwick followed up his PB of 21.95 this morning with a very solid 21.99 for the bronze medal, repeating his 100m result like Adrian.
Gabriel Castano missed his Mexican National Record by just 0.03 in fourth in a time of 22.23.
WOMEN’S 400 IM FINAL
- World Record: 4:26.36, Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2015
- Pan Am Record: 4:35.46, Caitlin Leverenz (USA), 2015
- 2015 champ: 4:35.46, Caitlin Leverenz (USA)
- Tessa Cieplucha, CAN, 4:39.90
- Virginia Bardach, ARG, 4:41.05
- Mary-Sophie Harvey, CAN, 4:43.20
Tessa Cieplucha took over the lead on the second length of backstroke and never looked back, winning the women’s 400 IM in a time of 4:39.90 to give Canada their first gold medal in the pool.
The rising Tennessee senior was just under a second off her personal best time of 4:38.96 set earlier this year at the Canadian World Trials.
Argentine Virginia Bardach earned her second medal of the competition with a silver in 4:41.05, improving on her previous best of 4:43.17 from 2016. The 27-year-old won the 200 fly on night one.
Mary-Sophie Harvey was a little off her prelim swim but still managed to get two Canadians on the podium in third, moving past American Allie Szekely on the freestyle leg for a final time of 4:43.20.
Szekely was fourth in 4:45.29, and her 16-year-old teammate Mariah Denigan was fifth in 4:48.47.
MEN’S 400 IM FINAL
- World Record: 4:03.84, Michael Phelps (USA), 2008
- Pan Am Record: 4:11.14, Thiago Pereira (BRA), 2007
- 2015 champ: 4:14.47, Brandonn Almeida (BRA)
- Charlie Swanson, USA, 4:11.46
- Leonardo Santos, BRA, 4:19.41
- Brandonn Almeida, BRA, 4:21.10
American Charlie Swanson absolutely demolished the field in the men’s 400 IM, clocking a time of 4:11.46 for a new personal best and the #4 time in the world this year.
Previously sitting 22nd with his old best of 4:14.01, Swanson jumps up to #7 all-time amongst Americans, moving past now #8 Gunnar Bentz who was scheduled to race alongside him today in Lima but dropped out to an illness.
A rising senior with Michigan, Swanson did the majority of his damage on the breaststroke leg where he split a massive 1:08.94. That saw his lead rocket from 1.3 seconds after the backstroke to 7.3 at the 300m turn.
In the absence of Bentz, Brazil picked up the two minor medals, with Leonardo Santos second in 4:19.41 and 2015 champion Brandonn Almeida third in 4:21.10. Almeida had been a 4:13.69 earlier this year at the Maria Lenk Trophy.
Tom Peribonio of Ecuador, who formerly swam with South Carolina in the NCAA, was fourth in 4:22.21. He and Almeida were the only returning finalists from four years ago (Peribonio was seventh in 2015, initially touching eighth before Thiago Pereira was disqualified).
WOMEN’S 4X200 FREE RELAY TIMED FINAL
- World Record: 7:41.50, Australia, 2019
- Pan Am record: 7:54.32, United States, 2015
- 2015 champs: 7:54.32, United States, 2015
- United States, 7:57.33
- Canada, 7:59.16
- Brazil, 8:07.77
It was a close race most of the way with the Canadians, but the U.S. women ultimately claimed their fifth consecutive title in the women’s 4×200 free relay in a time of 7:57.33.
Claire Rasmus gave them an early lead in 1:59.17, just ahead of Canada’s Alyson Ackman (1:59.55) and Brazil’s Aline Rodrigues (1:59.56), and then Alex Walsh extended the advantage with a 1:58.27 split swimming second.
Danica Ludlow (1:59.83) made up some ground on Sarah Gibson (2:01.75) on the third leg, but then Meaghan Raab shut the door on the anchor leg for the Americans with the fastest split in the field at 1:58.14.
Joining Ackman and Ludlow for Canada was Katerine Savard (2:00.36) and Mary-Sophie Harvey (1:59.42), as they pick up the silver medal in 7:59.16.
Brazil was within striking distance through 600 metres but fell off towards the end to take the bronze over eight seconds behind Canada in 8:07.77. Rodrigues’ lead-off was her first time sub-2:00.
Delfina Pignatiello opened in 2:02.61 for Argentina to lead them to fourth in 8:15.72.
MEN’S 4X200 FREE RELAY TIMED FINAL
- World Record: 6:58.55, United States, 2009
Pan Am record: 7:11.15, Brazil, 2015- 2015 champs: 7:11.15, Brazil
- Brazil, 7:10.66
- United States, 7:14.82
- Mexico, 7:19.43
The Brazilian men successfully defended their title in the men’s 4×200 free, clocking 7:10.66 for a new Games Record. That time improves on the 7:11.15 they went to win four years ago.
Drew Kibler of the United States was the fastest man on the opening leg in 1:47.31, leading Jorge Iga (1:47.92) of Mexico and Luiz Melo (1:48.10) of Brazil, and then Fernando Scheffer pulled the defending champs into the lead with a 1:46.36 swimming second.
Brazil only gained from there, with Joao De Lucca (1:48.62) and Breno Correia (1:47.58) bringing them in for the victory.
Melo, Scheffer and Correia were all members of the Brazilian team that broke the world record in the short course metres version of this event at SC Worlds in December.
Kibler was joined by Grant House (1:48.31), Sam Pomajevich (1:49.34) and Chris Wieser (1:49.86) on the U.S. team who settled for silver in 7:14.82.
Mexico won bronze in a new National Record of 7:19.43, with the splits from Iga and Long Gutierrez (1:47.90) their two keys. Peru also hit a new national mark in sixth in 7:42.05.
#throwback to pianos, pianos, pianos, pianos, pianos, pianos….I think I should create a pic of all the times swimswam comments said pianos
Adrian is wonderful story. Very quick recover after very hard surgery. Cancer was already four locationher lower body.
We’ll never know.
There are these great things called “times” in which every swimmer the world over swims the same distance. When you look at their “time” to complete that distance in that event, you can easily compare those “times” against one another and have a pretty good idea of where the athletes stack up. Generally medaling at one big meet is a good sign for an apt comparison at another big meet. It’s crazy, I know.
After Kibler, it was the baby piano, the plain standard piano, and the grand piano for the grand finale.
Gibson is awarded the priceless Steinway Grand Piano for her performance in the women’s 4 x 200 m freestyle relay.
What’s Swanson’s 200 breast time?
I think 2:11. Kind of odd how it seems intuitive that a good br split in the 400 IM should indicate a great 200 but it doesn’t shake out that way. Chase always has a much better br split than prenot in a 400, but prenot is much better over a 200 br.
The 4×2 relays looked excruciating slow compared to the great races at the worlds
What a strange comment. Of course worlds is faster! Worlds takes the top 4 in the country for their 200 relay.
Brazil on the other hand brings some of their top freestyle guys from worlds to Pan Ams!
Weiser about to drop a 1:39
1:49*