The UANA, the overseeing organization of the Pan American Games, has taken a slight backtrack from their previous decision to cut 176 qualified swimmers from the Pan American Games by allowing the entry of 14 more swimmers, along with 8 relay-only swimmers, for a total of 278 total entries (though, with the removal of Matthew Bartlett from the USA roster, this number may actually be only 277).
The decision was made after discussions with FINA about the best way to handle the situation, and the 14 swimmers were allowed back in because they achieved “A” time standards. Though in the Pan American Games qualifying procedures those are not specifically referred to as “automatic qualifying” times, the general swimming terminology is that A is for Automatic.
The meet organizers have also disputed the previous claims that there were 432 entries, saying that they only received 304 entries. It’s not clear where such a huge discrepancy would come from.
This news was especially-welcome for at least one swimmer: Lisa Blackburn of Bermuda. The swimmer, who trains in Ontario, Canada, was already disappointed once in the last year. After qualifying for the Dubai Short Course World Championships in December, the Bermuda Amateur Swimming Association refused to grant her a sanction for the meet, even at her own expense, and she was forced to stay home.
The 14 individual swimmers who were added back into the meet:
Daniela van den Berg, Aruba
Alica Lightbourne, Bahamas
Amara Gibbs, Barbados
Lisa Blackburn, Bermuda
Lara Butler, Cayman Islands
Isabel Riquelma, Chile
Maria Coy, Guatemala
Ana Castellanos, Honduras
Karen Vilorio, Honduras
Patricia Quevedo, Peru
Maria Torres, Peru
Oriele Espinosa, Peru
Patricia Castellas, Puerto Rico
Trysha Centeno, Puerto Rico
