Gunnar Bentz Falls Ill & Scratches Pan Ams 400 IM; 200 IM Still Up In The Air

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

American Gunnar Bentz was not feeling well, and withdrew from prelims of today’s 400 IM at the Pan American Games.

A USA Swimming spokesperson says Bentz was “not feeling well this morning,” which led to his scratch from the 400 IM heats. Bentz was the #3 overall seed heading into the meet. He’s also the top seed in tomorrow’s 200 IM, but his status there remains up in the air.

“The team will determine his participation in the 200 I.M. ahead of prelims tomorrow morning,” USA Swimming said.

Bentz is the defending bronze medalist in the 200 IM, having finished third at the last Pan American Games in 2015. He was a U.S. Olympian as part of the 4×200 free relay in 2016, and was previously a double gold medalist in the IMs at the 2013 World Junior Championships.

It’s been a tough summer for Team USA, health-wise. Distance star Katie Ledecky scratched two of her principle events (the 200 free and 1500 free) and lost another (the 400 free) while battling illness at the World Championships. FINA ultimately issued a memo warning about spreading illnesses at the World Championships.

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Lpman
4 years ago

I’m concerned who is going to be destroying bathrooms in Tokyo if Lochte, Bentz, Conger and Feigen (retired) are not there.

Maybe Shane Tusup can pick up the torch.

hunkydory
4 years ago

Principal*

Gator
4 years ago

My guess is he got nauseous looking at that 6th place 200IM time to make national team.

Don’t drink the water
4 years ago

I’m here watching the games and have struggled to stay healthy myself and my only job is to eat good food then go and cheer. I’ve been instructed to be.very careful to not drink any water including brushing teeth and even eating produce. Bottled water only can be a challenge. No ice as well! A learning experience for sure. Hope Gunnar feels better soon!

Sccoach
4 years ago

Stop drinking from the same water bottle as Kalisz

Superfan
4 years ago

It hurts the USA 4×200 relay too. They only brought 2. 200 freestylers to Pan Ams so I am sure Gunnar would have been on that relay

Rafael
Reply to  Superfan
4 years ago

Usa would not beat bra here even with him and no other team is even close

DEAN IS GOD
Reply to  Superfan
4 years ago

SHIELDS
FINK
LICON
WILSON

6:53

WV Swammer
Reply to  DEAN IS GOD
4 years ago

Shields with a 49.3/1:07.9

Virtus
Reply to  DEAN IS GOD
4 years ago

Gotta love a freestyle relay with on true freestyler

Thezwimmer
4 years ago

Surely he was the favorite for gold here. That sucks!

Michael Licon
4 years ago

Get well soon bro!!

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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