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
There are just two days left of the 2019 Pan American Games, and we’ve got a mix of speed and strategy this morning with heats of the 50 frees and 400 IMs.
Etiene Medeiros looks for Brazil’s first-ever women’s 50 free gold, but American 100 free standout Margo Geer stands in her way. On the men’s side, Brazil has won five of the last six golds in the 50 free and has the top seed with Bruno Fratus. But American Nathan Adrian looks to play spoiler and give his nation two in a row in the men’s 50.
The U.S. women have won three straight in the women’s 400 IM, but it’s up to 16-year-old Mariah Denigan to knock off Canadian top seed Tessa Cieplucha, who would be the first Canadian champ in this event since 1999. For the men, Brazil has won three straight, including a 2015 title from Brandonn Almeida, who set the world junior record. Now a senior, Almeida is back to defend his title against top-seeded American Charlie Swanson.
Keep refreshing this page for live, event-by-event updates of all the action from Lima.
Women’s 50 Free – Prelims
- World record: 23.67, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017
- Pan Ams record: 24.31, Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (BAH), 2015
- Defending champ: 24.31, Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (BAH)
Top 8 qualifiers:
- Madison Kennedy (USA) – 25.46
- Lorrane Ferreira (BRA) – 25.50
- Margo Geer (USA) – 25.51
- Etiene Medeiros (BRA) – 25.53
- Karen Torrez (BOL) – 25.72
- Kyla Leibel (CAN) – 25.77
- Alyson Ackman (CAN) – 25.78
- Isabella Arcila (COL) – 25.83
Americans won the first two circle-seeded heats, but the two Brazilians went 1-2 in the final heat, setting up an incredibly close finals field. All four rank within .07 seconds of one another. Madison Kennedy leads the way in 25.46. That’s quite a ways off her best (24.3 from 2016), though she’s been 24 this season with a 24.87 back in November.
Brazil’s Lorrane Ferreira sits four one-hundredths back in 25.50, but should be faster tonight – she was 25.2 last summer. 100 free champ Margo Geer may actually be the favorite from the third qualifying spot. She went 25.51 this morning to win her heat easily, and has been 24.7 already this year. Meanwhile top incoming seed Etiene Medeiros of Brazil was 25.53 – she went 24.8 back in March.
Early in that event, 13-year-old Alexia Sotomayor thrilled the home crowd with an opening heat win. Sotomayor went 27.56. At 13, she’s only eight tenths of a second from the Peruvian national record.
Men’s 50 Free – Prelims
- World record: 20.91, Cesar Cielo (BRA), 2009
- Pan Ams record: 21.58 Cesar Cielo (BRA), 2011
- Defending champ: 21.86, Josh Schneider (USA)
Top 8 qualifiers:
- Michael Chadwick (USA) – 21.95
- Bruno Fratus (BRA) – 22.02
- Nathan Adrian (USA) – 22.12
- Pedro Spajari (BRA) – 22.17
- Renzo Tjon-A-Joe (SUR) – 22.24
- Gabriel Castano (MEX) – 22.36
- Alberto Mestre (VEN) – 22.52
- Santiago Grassi (ARG) – 22.70
American Michael Chadwick snipped .01 off his season-best to take the top spot out of prelims in the men’s 50 free. Chadwick was 21.95 this morning, clipping his season and lifetime-bests by a hundredth. Chadwick was 21.96 at Olympic Trials in 2016, but also on the Pro Swim Series this season.
Brazil’s Bruno Fratus, the defending silver medalist in this event, was 22.02. He’s probably the favorite tonight after going 21.31 back in June and tying for World Champs silver.
Nathan Adrian of the United States won his heat in 22.12. He needs to crack 22.00 tonight to earn himself a spot on the U.S. National Team, made up of the top 6 in each event, assuming his rank holds through the end of the month. Adrian went 21.94 back in November, though that was before his training break while receiving treatment for testicular cancer.
Adrian has been one of the most consistent sprinters in the world for the past decade. In fact, if he doesn’t break 22 tonight, 2019 would be in line to become the first calendar year since 2008 that Adrian didn’t register a 21-second 50 freestyle.
Brazil’s Pedro Spajari is also into the final with a 22.17 from this morning.
Women’s 400 IM – Prelims
- World record: 4:26.36, Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2015
- Pan Ams record: 4:35.46, Caitlin Leverenz (USA), 2015
- Defending champ: 4:35.46, Caitlin Leverenz (USA)
Top 8 qualifiers:
- Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAN) – 4:42.70
- Tessa Cieplucha (CAN) – 4:45.61
- Mariah Denigan (USA) – 4:48.99
- Virginia Bardach (ARG) – 4:50.09
- Fernanda de Goeij (BRA) – 4:50.84
- Florencia Perotti (ARG) – 4:52.39
- Monika Gonzalez (MEX) – 4:53.42
- Allie Szekely (USA) – 4:57.14
Canada qualified 1-2 in the women’s 400 IM. 19-year-old Mary-Sophie Harvey won the first heat and her time held up as #1, and teammate Tessa Cieplucha won the second heat.
For Harvey, a 4:42.70 counts for her best swim in two years. Her lifetime-best is a 4:36.48 from June 2017, but since then, her best time had been a 4:43.40 last summer at Commonwealth Games.
Cieplucha was 4:45.61, coming from behind during the breaststroke leg to win her heat. Cieplucha went 4:38.96 back in April, so if she’s got anything more in the tank for tonight, she’s still probably the favorite over Harvey.
16-year-old American Mariah Denigan sits third in 4:48.99. Denigan was 4:40 last summer and has been 4:43 already this year, so look for the young distance threat to move up tonight.
Argentina gets two into the final, led by 4th qualifier Virginia Bardach. Bardach was second to Cieplucha in their heat, going 4:50.09, a little ways off her season-best of 4:45.7 from June.
Men’s 400 IM – Prelims
- World record: 4:03.84, Michael Phelps (USA), 2008
- Pan Ams record: 4:11.14, Thiago Pereira (BRA), 2007
- Defending champ: 4:14.47, Brandonn Almeida (BRA)
Top 8 qualifiers:
- Charlie Swanson (USA) – 4:16.66
- Brandonn Almeida (BRA) – 4:23.24
- Jarod Arroyo (PUR) – 4:23.70
- Tomas Peribonio (ECU) – 4:23.77
- Leonardo Santos (BRA) – 4:24.51
- Hector Cruz (MEX) – 4:25.11
- Erick Gordillo (MEX) – 4:26.64
- Santiago Corredor (COL) – 4:27.66
American Charlie Swanson crushed his heat, going 4:16.66 to qualify first by almost seven seconds in the men’s 400 IM. Swanson is about two and a half seconds off his career-best from last summer, and also not far off the time Brandonn Almeida went in winning Pan Ams gold four years ago.
Almeida is the second qualifier back at 4:23.24. He was pushed in his heat by Puerto Rico’s Jarod Arroyo, who was about a half-second back and sits third into finals.
American Gunnar Bentz was a surprising no-show out in this event. He was the third seed in this race and the top seed into tomorrow’s 200 IM.
Anyone know why Gunnar didn’t swim 4IM? Only one American swam it and Gunnar was listed for it.
Heard Mr. Piano was lurking in the stands.
Food poisoning! Couldn’t be worse timing!
Gunnar Bentz no show for heats
It looks like they scratched him ahead of time cause he wasnt seeded on heat sheet. Hope he is ok
hit by a train
Not as many events for one thing
And for the piano….
What happened to Allie Szekely
She slowed up so much, you wonder if she has an injury, or is ill.
The 1:14 freestyle leg might be a bigger piano than shields 1:11
Her free is always bad but not that bad! Her breaststroke was also bad today and it is usually good
What happened to you
FYI – She lost her goggles and her contacts fell out
That’s rough.
FYI – her goggles fell off and she lost her contacts.
Really? Very few best times.
except for the relay…
Concerto time in 400 IM?