2023 Pan American Games: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2023 PAN AMERICAN GAMES

• October 21-25, 2023
• Santiago, Chile
• Meet Central
• Entries (Psych Sheet)
• Live Results
• Live Stream
  • Fubo TV (subscription required)
  • PanAm Sports Channel (USA, Canada, Jamaica)
• Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 1 Prelims Recap

The second day of the 2023 Pan American Games continues Sunday with finals of the 200-meter freestyle, 100 butterfly, 200 backstroke, and mixed 4×100 free relay.

In the women’s 200 free, Canada’s Mary-Sophie Harvey (1:59.31) and Tennessee freshman Camille Spink (1:59.94) are set for a battle after taking the top two spots in prelims this morning. The men’s 200 free saw 31-year-old American Zane Grothe qualify 4th behind three Brazilians: Fernando Scheffer (1:48.03), Murilo Sartori (1:47.63), and Breno Martins (1:47.59).

Kelly Pash will occupy lane 4 in the 100 fly after leading the morning heats by half a second with a 58.34, but she’ll have to hold off Texas teammate Olivia Bray (58.84) and Olympic champion Maggie MacNeil (59.73) in the final.

NC State senior Luke Miller was the only swimmer under 52 seconds in the men’s 100 fly (51.99) while NC State sophomore Kennedy Noble (2:13.54) and Brazil’s Alexia Tavares Assuncao (2:13.61) were separated by less than a tenth of a second in the women’s 200 back. Georgia fifth-year Ian Grum (1:59.21) and Virginia junior Jack Aikins (1:59.28) are also slated for a tight showdown in the men’s 200 back.

The top-seeded Americans are aiming for their first relay win in the mixed 4×100 free relay tonight after earning runner-up finishes in the men’s and women’s 4×100 free relays on Saturday.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record: 1:52.85 – Mollie O’Callaghan, Australia (2023)
• Pan American Games Record: 1:56.23 – Allison Schmitt, United States (2015)

Top 3:

1. Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAN) – 1:58.08
2. Maria Costa (BRA) – 1:58.12
3. Camille Spink (USA) – 1:58.61

Top-seeded Canadian Mary-Sophie Harvey prevailed in the 200 free final with a winning time of 1:58.08, holding off Brazil’s Maria Costa (1:58.12) by just 0.04 seconds. Harvey has been as fast as 1:57.75 at Mare Nostrum in May while Costa’s personal best sits at 1:57.76 from the Brazil Trophy in June.

Tennessee freshman Camille Spink clocked a new lifetime best of 1:58.61 en route to 3rd place, shaving 0.17 seconds of her previous-best 1:58.78 from U.S. Nationals. Brazil’s Stephanie Balduccini (1:58.67) and Stanford sophomore Kayla Wilson (1:58.91), also finished under 1:59, but it wasn’t enough to clinch a spot on the podium.

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record: 1:42.00 – Paul Biedermann, Germany (2009)
• Pan American Games Record: 1:46.42 – Joao de Lucca, Brazil (2015)

Top 3:

1. Coby Carrozza (USA) – 1:47.37
2. Jorge Iga (MEX) – 1:47.56
3. Murilo Sartori (BRA) – 1:47.95

Texas senior Coby Carrozza got out to a quick start and withstood a late charge from Mexico’s Jorge Iga (1:47.56) to take the 200 free title in 1:47.37. Carrozza, 22, was within a second of his personal-best 1:46.72 from U.S. Nationals. Iga’s best time is a 1:46.89 from Worlds this year, where he placed 19th.

Brazil’s Murilo Sartori (1:47.95) edged out 31-year-old American Zane Grothe (1:48.00) for the final spot on the podium by just 0.05 seconds. Sartori’s personal best is a 1:46.70 from his 4×200 free relay leadoff at Worlds while Grothe’s lifetime best is a 1:46.39 from 2017.

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• World Record: 55.48 – Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2016)
• Pan American Games Record: 57.24– Kelsi Worrell, United States (2015)

Top 3:

1. Maggie MacNeil (CAN) – 56.94
2. Kelly Pash (USA) – 57.85
3. Olivia Bray (USA) – 58.36

Maggie MacNeil only qualified 4th in the morning heats (59.73), but it was tough to overlook the defending Olympic champion in this race. The 23-year-old Canadian cruised to victory by nearly a full second over the American duo of Kelly Pash (57.85) and Olivia Bray (58.36) with a winning time of 56.94. That marks represents a new Pan Ams record, bettering the 57.24 that Kelsi Worrell posted in 2015. MacNeil’s lifetime best is a 55.59 from her Olympic win in Tokyo two years ago.

MacNeil was faster than last weekend’s World Cup series stop in Athens, Greece, where she clocked a 57.13. She went 56.45 for silver at Worlds this summer and 56.54 at Canadian Trials earlier this year.

Pash and Bray were both slightly off their best times from U.S. Nationals this summer, where Pash placed 5th (57.53) and Bray placed 7th (57.64).

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• World Record: 49.45– Caeleb Dressel, United States (2019)
• Pan American Games Record: 51.44– Luis Martinez, Guatemala (2019)

Top 3:

1. Luke Miller (USA) – 51.98
2. Vinicius Lanza (BRA) – 52.52
3. Arsenio Bustos (USA) – 52.60

Luke Miller only went 0.01 seconds faster than his top-seeded prelims performance (51.99), but his time of 51.98 was still good enough for the 100 fly crown in Santiago by more than half a second. The NC State senior was close to his personal-best 51.84 from U.S. Nationals, where he placed 8th.

Brazil’s Vinicius Lanza (52.52) snuck past NC State junior Arsenio Bustos (52.60) for the silver medal. Canada’s Finlay Knox (52.89) and Venezuela’s Jorge Otaiza (52.95) also broke 53 seconds in the final.

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

• World Record: 2:03.14 – Kaylee McKeown, Australia (2023)
• Pan American Games Record: 2:08.22 – Hillary Caldwell, Canada (2015)

Top 3:

1. Kennedy Noble (USA) – 2:08.03
2. Reilly Tiltmann (USA) – 2:12.79
3. Alexia Tavares Assuncao (BRA) – 2:13.31

NC State sophomore Kennedy Noble dominated the 200 back with a winning time of 2:08.03 that took down the Pan Ams record of 2:08.22 set by Canada’s Hillary Caldwell in 2015. It marked the third victory of the session so far for Team USA.

Noble triumphed by more than four seconds ahead of fellow American Reilly Tiltmann (2:12.79) and Brazil’s Alexia Tavares Assuncao (2:13.31). Noble’s best time is a 2:06.54 from U.S. Nationals, where she placed 4th ahead of Tiltmann in 6th (personal-best 2:08.65). Before this summer, Noble had never been under 2:10 before.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

• World Record: 1:51.92 – Aaron Piersol, United States (2009)
• Pan American Games Record: 1:57.11 – Sean Lehane, United States (2015)

Top 3:

1. Jack Aikins (USA) – 1:56.58
2. Ian Grum (USA) – 1:57.19
3. Hugh McNeill (CAN) – 1:59.96

The U.S. went 1-2 in the 200 back for the second race in a row as Virginia junior Jack Aikins (1:56.58) beat Georgia fifth-year Ian Grum (1:57.19) for the men’s title. Aikins was only about half a second off his personal-best 1:56.04 from U.S. Nationals, where he placed 3rd, as he lowered the previous Pan Ams record of 1:57.11 set by Sean Lehane in 2015.

Grum was within a second of his personal-best 1:56.32 from U.S. Nationals, where he placed 5th. Canada’s Hugh McNeill took 3rd in 1:59.96, a couple seconds of his best time (1:57.73) from Worlds, where he placed 15th in semis.

MIXED 4×100 FREESTYLE RELAY – FINAL

• World Record: 3:18.83 – Australia (2023)
• Pan American Games Record: 3:24.84 – United States (2019)

Top 3:

1. Brazil – 3:23.78
2. USA – 3:24.21
3. Canada – 3:25.23

The U.S. is still seeking its first relay win after taking silver in the mixed 4×100 free relay (3:24.21) behind Brazil (3:23.78).

For Brazil, Tennessee sophomore Gui Caribe led off in 48.26, Marcelo Chierighini followed in 47.59, Ana Vieira split 54.5, and Stephanie Balduccini anchored in 53.43. Brooks Curry led off the American mixed relay in 48.43, Jonny Kulow went 47.44, Catie DeLoof posted a 54.o1 split, and Amy Fulmer anchored in 54.33. The U.S. quartet beat Canada by more than a full second for silver.