2023 Pan American Games: Day 5 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 2 Prelims Recap| Day 2 Finals Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Finals Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Recap | Day 4 Finals Recap
• Day 5 Prelims Recap

And here we are. We have reached the final session of the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. At least one Pan American Games Record has fallen on each of the first four days, so we’ll see if that streak continues today.

DAY 5 FINALS EVENT SCHEDULE

• Women’s 1500 free (Timed Final – Fast Heat)
• Women’s 200 IM
• Men’s 200 IM
• Men’s 1500 free (Timed Final – Fast Heat)
• Women’s 4×100 medley relay
• Men’s 4×100 medley relay

The women’s 1500 looks like an event which could see the meet record fall. The record stands at 16:16.54, a mark which five of the eight swimmers in the fast heat tonight have been faster than. Beatriz Dizotti comes in as the top seed by a wide margin, entering with a 16:01.95.

The men’s 1500 free could definitely see the record go down as well. Brazil’s Guilherme Costa is the South American Record holder in the event (14:48.53) and comes in as the top seed in the event. The record sits at 15:06.40.

Sydney Pickrem leads the charge in the women’s 200 IM. After a strong showing in the women’s 200 breast earlier in the week, Pickrem will be looking for her 2nd individual gold medal. The Pan Ams Record stands at 2:10.51, a time which we could realistically see Pickrem, who has been 2:08.61, go tonight.

WOMEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE – TIMED FINAL

• World Record: 15:20.48 – Katie Ledecky, United States (2018)
• Pan American Games Record: 16:16.54 – Delfina Pignatiello, Argentina (2019)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Rachel Stege (United States) – 16:13.59 (Pan American Games Record)
• SILVER: Kristel Kobrich (Chile) – 16:14.59
• BRONZE: Viviane Jungblut (Brazil) – 16:19.89

After a stellar showing in the women’s 1500 free, in which she won silver and clocked a huge new personal best, American Rachel Stege was in even better form in the 1500 tonight, winning gold in 16:13.59. Where to start? The performance was a massive new career best for Stege, who entered today with a lifetime mark of 16:29.55, a time which she swam earlier this summer. In addition to the huge new PB, Stege also cracked the Pan American Games Record in the event, which stood at 16:16.54 from the 2019 Games. It’s worth noting that this year marks only the second time the women’s 1500 free has been offered at the Pan American Games.

Coming in second with a huge performance in her own right was Chilean star Kristel Kobrich. One of the great storylines of these Pan American Games, Kobrich was a flag-bearer for the host country. She’s competing in a record 6th Pan American Games at 38 years of age. Kobrich has long been a South American distance star and tonight’s performance was nothing short of excellent. She clocked a 16:14.59, picking up the silver medal. Kobrich now has earned a total of 6 individual Pan American Games medals. She’s also now earned a medal at 5 different Pan Ams, which is another record for the veteran.

Brazil picked up another medal as well, seeing Viviane Jungblut clock a 16:19.89 for 3rd.

WOMEN’S 200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – FINALS

• World Record: 2:06.12 – Katinka Hosszu, Hungary (2015)
• Pan American Games Record: 2:10.51 – Caitlin Leverenz, United States (2015)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Sydney Pickrem (Canada) – 2:09.04 (Pan American Games Record)
• SILVER: Mary-Sophie Harvey (Canada) – 2:11.92
• BRONZE: Kennedy Noble (United States) – 2:14.19

As expected, Canadian Sydney Pickrem won gold in the women’s 200 IM tonight, shattering the Pan American Games Record in the process. Pickrem clocked a 2:09.04, which came in well under the previous record of 2:10.51, which former American star Caitlin Leverenz posted at the 2015 Pan Ams.

For Pickrem, it was a really strong swim, coming in less than half-a-second off her personal best of 2:08.61. As she normally is, Pickrem was really good in the middle of the race. She split 28.73 on fly, then clocked a speedy 32.07 on back. Pickrem followed that up with a 37.77 on breast, then a 30.47 on free, both of which were the fastest in the field.

Canada was dominant in the event, as Mary-Sophie Harvey clocked a 2:11.92 for 2nd tonight. She and Pickrem were the only swimmers in the field under 2:14 tonight. Harvey has been under 2:10 earlier this year. In fact, she was 3rd in prelims of the 200 IM at the World Championships in Fukuoka this summer with a 2:09.65.

American Kennedy Noble, the gold medalist in the women’s 200 back, earned the bronze medal here tonight, swimming a 2:14.19.

MEN’S 200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – FINALS

• World Record: 1:54.00 – Ryan Lochte, United States (2011)
• Pan American Games Record: 1:57.06 – Henrique Rodrigues, Brazil (2015)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Finlay Knox (Canada) – 1:58.74
• SILVER: Arsenio Bustos (United States) – 1:59.89
• BRONZE: Leonardo Coelho (Brazil) – 2:00.58

Canada picked up their second-straight gold medal, seeing Finlay Knox win by over a second. Knox, the Canadian Record holder in the event (1:57.26), swam a 1:58.74 tonight, beating out American Arsenio Bustos, who came in 2nd with a 1:59.89. Knox was strong in the middle of the race, splitting 30.29 on back and 35.16 on breast for a 1:05.45 on the middle 100. A 25.49 fly split and speedy 27.80 free split rounded out Knox’s race.

Bustos was the only other swimmer in the field under 2:00, putting a great 34.89 breast split, which was the fastest in the field. His 25.12 on the first 50 was also the fastest fly split in the field tonight.

Brazilian Leonardo Coelho as in the lead at the 100m turn, thanks to a field-leading 30.22 on the back 50.

MEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE – TIMED FINAL

• World Record: 14:31.02 – Sun Yang, China (2019)
• Pan American Games Record: 15:06.40 – Ryan Cochrane, Canada (2015)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Guilherme Costa (Brazil) – 15:09.29
• SILVER: Will Gallant (United States) – 15:12.94
• BRONZE: Alfonso Mestre (Venezuela) – 15:19.60

And there it is. The final individual event of the 2023 Pan American Games is now in the books. Only the medley relays are left.

Closing out the individual racing in Santiago, Brazilian Guilherme Costa completed his sweep of the men’s distance events, winning the 1500 free in 15:09.29. He, American Will Gallant, and Venezuelan Alfonso Mestre were trading the lead early in the race. Towards the end of the race, Mestre really fell off the pace, but Gallant and Costa kept going at it.

Gallant was in the lead as late as the 1350m turn, however, Costa turned it on at the end and pulled away from him. In the end, Costa won by nearly 3 seconds, picking up his 3rd individual gold medal of the meet and his 4th overall gold. It wasn’t an exceptional time for Costa, who is the South American Record holder in the event (14:48.53), however, he still did what he needed to in order to win tonight.

Gallant was also off his career best, which stands at 14:57.08.

Mestre ended up earning the bronze medal with a 15:19.60.

WOMEN’S 4×100 MEDLEY RELAY – FINALS

• World Record: 3:50.40 – United States (2019)
• Pan American Games Record: 3:56.53 – United States (2015)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Canada – 3:58.76
• SILVER: United States – 3:59.39
• BRONZE: Mexico – 4:04.73

It was all North America in the women’s 4×100 medley relay, seeing Canada win gold in the final women’s event of the meet. The Americans were out in the lead on the first half of the relay, thanks to a 1:00.47 lead-off from Josephine Fuller, followed by a 1:07.39 breast split from Emma Weber. The Canadian team was just behind the U.S., as Danielle Hanus (1:00.97) and Rachel Nicol (1:07.14) handled their first two legs.

As we would expect, Maggie MacNeil took the race over for Canada on the fly leg. The 100 fly champion clocked a 56.83, beating out American Kelly Pash, who split 57.62. Canada had a lead of a little over half a second going into the anchor. Catie DeLoof was anchoring the U.S., and she cut the lead to just 0.11 seconds at the 350m turn. Canadian anchor Mary-Sophie Harvey had other plans, however, and she started pulling away from DeLoof on the final 50.

In the end, Canada got to the wall first, finishing in 3:58.76, while the U.S. earned the silver medal with a 3:59.39.

Mexico picked up a relay bronze, finishing 3rd with a 4:04.73.

Despite a very speedy 53.70 on the anchor from Stephanie Balduccini, Brazil ended up finishing 5th in 4:04.95.

MEN’S 4×100 MEDLEY RELAY – FINALS

• World Record: 3:26.78 – United States (2021)
• Pan American Games Record: 3:30.25 – United States (2019)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: United States – 3:33.29
• SILVER: Brazil – 3:35.12
• BRONZE: Canada – 3:35.72

The final event of the 2023 Pan American Games is now in the books. The U.S. picked up a gold medal in the men’s 4×100 medley relay, swimming a 3:33.29. The Americans were in the lead from the start, seeing Jack Aikins get out to a 54.00 on the lead-off. After being handed a lead, Jake Foster then clocked a 1:00.61 on the breast leg. Luke Miller then put up an impressive 51.36 on the fly leg and Jonny Kulow, who has been excellent all week, anchored in a blistering 47.32. It was a huge split for Kulow, who also anchored the mixed medley in 47.39 earlier in the week.

Brazil came in 2nd with a 3:35.12. Joao Gomes was big for their team, splitting 1:00.45 on the breast leg. That being said, it was Gui Caribe who threw down the split of the race, perhaps even the meet. Caribe, the men’s 100 free champion from a few days ago, ripped a 46.94 on the end of Brazil’s relay, pulling his team past Canada for 2nd. It’s a massive swim for Caribe, who was out like a bullet, splitting 21.98 on the first 50, a time which is faster than he swam in the individual 50 earlier in the meet.

Canada was left in 3rd place, earning the bronze medal with a 3:35.72. Gabe Mastromatteo split 1:00.20 on the breast leg, marking the fastest breast split in the field. Javier Acevedo had an anchor split as well, going 47.99, however, it was outshined by Caribe’s split.