Toronto 2015 Pan American Games: Day Four Finals Live Recap

TORONTO 2015 PAN AMERICAN GAMES

For full coverage of the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games including photos, live recaps, record posts, and more, visit our Toronto 2015 Pan American Games event channel here.

• July 14-18
• Toronto, Ont.
• Prelims 10 a.m EST
• Finals 7 p.m EST
• Schedule
• Swimming Home Page
• Toronto 2015 Home Page 
• Live results 
• Overall Medal Count 
• Live stream via ESPN 3 – USA
• Live stream via CBC – Canada 
• @swimswamnews – snapchat, instagram, twitter
• @Swimswamlive, @MitchBowmile – twitter

To see a preview for day four finals click here.

To see all day four scratches click here.

WOMEN’S 100m BACKSTROKE

• World record: 58.12 – Gemma Spofforth (Great Britain) 2009
• Pan Am Games record: 1:00.35 – Olivia Smoliga (USA) 2015
• Americas record: 58.33 – Missy Franklin (USA) 2012
• 10th fastest time in the world this season: 59.98

Medallists

1. Etiene Medeiros (Brazil) 59.61
2. Olivia Smoliga (USA) 1:00.06
3. Clara Smiddy (USA) 1:00.49

Etiene Medeiros of Brazil came home to win the 100m backstroke in a huge upset victory, beating top seed Olivia Smoliga and the two Canadian hometown favourites.

Medeiros clocked in a 59.61 at the wall, really turning on the jets during the last 25 and separating herself from her competition. She was the only swimmer in the entire final to dip under one-minute.

With that time Medeiros swam to a new Pan American Games record and a new Brazilian national record. Her time now ranks her sixth in the world this season.

Smoliga was right behind Medeiros at the 50 and managed to hold on for silver despite huge charges from Clara Smiddy who finished her race extremely strong. Smoliga almost broke one-minute for the second time today, rocking a 1:00.06 at the touch.

Smiddy managed to just out-touch Canadian hometown favourite Dominique Bouchard by five one-hundredths of a second in order to grab a spot on the podium. Bouchard and fellow Canadian teammate Hilary Caldwell finished fourth and fifth respectively.

MEN’S 100m BACKSTROKE

• World record: 51.94 – Aaron Peirsol (USA) 2009
• Pan Am Games record: 53.66 – Randall Bal (USA) 2007
• Americas record: 51.94 – Aaron Peirsol (USA) 2009
• 10th fastest time in the world this season: 53.56

Medallists

1. Nick Thoman (USA) 53.20
2. Guilherme Guido (Brazil) 53.35
3. Eugene Godsoe (USA) 53.96

Nick Thoman of the United States proved why he’s the Olympic silver medallist in the 100m backstroke tonight by breaking the Pan American Games record sand securing the fifth fastest time in the world this season.

In start-to-finish fashion, Thoman led at the 50 with a 25.68 split and came home strong in 27.52 to take gold.

Top seed heading into finals Guilherme Guido of Brazil managed to take home the silver with a very solid time of 53.35. He took it out with Thoman and came back strong, however just didn’t have enough in his tank to pull off a win.

Eugene Godsoe had a great last 50 in order to come back into the picture after turning fifth at the halfway point. He was behind Canadian Russell Wood, but managed to pass him in order to take the bronze in 53.96.

Wood managed a fourth place finish for Canada in 54.30. Right behind him was Argentinian freestyle specialist Frederico Grabich.

WOMEN’S 400m FREESTYLE

• World record: 3:58.37 – Katie Ledecky (USA) 2014
• Pan Am Games record: 4:10.48 – Elizabeth Hill (USA) 2003
• Americas record: 3:58.37 – Katie Ledecky (USA) 2014
• 10th fastest time in the world this season: 4:05.75

Medallists

1. Emily Overholt (Canada) 4:08.42
2. Andreina Pinto (Venezuela) 4:08.67
3. Gillian Ryan (USA) 4:09.46

Emily Overholt wanted to make a statement tonight and that she did after touching gold in the women’s 400m freestyle from an outside lane.

In one of the gutsiest races swum so far at these games, Overholt tackled the race right from the start in hopes of going for gold. At the first 100 she was out in 59.60 and had a body-length lead. She kept that lead through to the 200-meter mark where she turned in 2:02.58.

Heading into the last 100 Venezuelan swimmer Andreina Pinto began to close in on her lead.

With 50-meters to go Pinto and Overholt were almost right beside each other, but Overholt kept pushing for home. At the touch it was Overholt in 4:08.42, breaking the previous Pan American Games record. Pinto was ust behind in 4:08.67.

Gillian Ryan made a big charge on the last 100 to end up in a podium position with a 4:09.46.

The top three girls were all under the previous games record.

MEN’S 400m FREESTYLE

• World record: 3:40.07 – Paul Beidermann (Germany) 2009
• Pan Am Games record: 3:49.77 – Matt Patton (USA) 2007
• Americas record:  – 3:42.78 – Larsen Jensen (USA) 2008
• 10th fastest time in the world this season: 3:46.53

Medallists

1. Ryan Cochrane (Canada) 3:48.29
2. Ryan Feeley (USA) 3:49.69
3. Leonardo De Deus (Brazil) 3:50.30

Ryan Cochrane of Canada lived up to all expectations, claiming gold in Pan American Games record fashion with a time of 3:48.29. Cochrane went out the first 100 with the pack, and then stormed to a lead in the middle 200-meters. The last 100 he held on as American Ryan Feeley made a huge move.

Feeley was back in fourth at the halfway point, but turned on the kick with 200 to go and motored home. He passed Leonardo De deus of Brazil and Jeremy Bagshaw of Canada, and started to majorly creep up on Cochrane.

He wasn’t able to make up the distance, but the American touched in for a 3:49.69 and a nice silver medal.

De Deus managed to hang on for the bronze with a 3:50.30 while Bagshaw faded to fifth behind Michael Klueh.

WOMEN’S 100m BREASTSTROKE

• World record: 1:04.35 – Ruta Meilutyte (Lithuania) 2013
• Pan Am Games record: 1:05.64 – Katie Meili (USA) 2015
• Americas record: 1:04.45 – Jessica Hardy (USA) 2009
• 10th fastest time in the world this season: 1:07.03

Medallists

1. Katie Meili (USA) 1:06.26
2. Alia Atkinson (Jamaica) 1:06.59
3. Rachel Nicol (Canada) 1:07.91

Although she wasn’t as fast as her record breaking swim from this morning, American Katie Meili managed to hold off Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson in order to come away as the winner tonight.

The two were together the entire race, with Atkinson even having a slight 0.10 second lead at the first 50 wall. Meili managed to gain all of that back on the first half of the second 25, and maintained her lead as she stretched into the wall.

Atkinson kept it close with a 1:06.59. That time currently ranks her fifth in the world this season.

Way behind the lead pack was Canadian Rachel Nicol who managed to get her hands on the wall in third. Nicol was in third the entire race with Canadian Tera Van Beilen behind her the whole way.

Van Beilen finished fourth in 1:08.22, Annie Lazor was fifth in 1:08.72

MEN’S 100m BREASTSTROKE

• World record: 57.92 – Adam Peaty (Great Britain) 2015
• Pan Am Games record: 59.84 – Felipe Da Silva (Brazil) 2015
• Americas record: 58.96 – Eric Shanteau (USA) 2009
• 10th fastest time in the world this season: 1:00.04

Medallists

1. Felipe Da Silva (Brazil) 59.21
2. Felipe Lima (Brazil) 1:00.01
3. Richard Funk (Canada) 1:00.29

Felipe Da Silva of Brazil took the race out strong, came home with power, and won in a new Pan American Games record time of 59.21.

Taking a big chunk off what he swam in prelims, Da Silva was nowhere to be seen by his competitors. Way out in front, Da Silva won the race by an entire eight-tenths of a second.

His splits were very solid, charging out fast in 27.41 and coming home in a smooth 31.80. He was faster than every single swimmer on the first 50, and only one athlete managed to return home faster.

The race for silver was very tight; Felipe Lima held on to his second place position as Canada’s Richard Funk gained momentum and rocketed home.

Funk wasn’t able to catch Lima, and Lima grabbed the silver with a swift 1:00.01. Funk managed a 1:00.29 performance to take home the bronze ahead of Colombia’s Jorge Murillo.

WOMEN’S 50m FREESTYLE

• World record: 23.73  – Britta Steffen (Germany) 2009
• Pan Am Games record: 24.31 – Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (Bahamas) 2015
• Americas record: 24.07 – Dara Torres (USA) 2008
• 10th fastest time in the world this season: 24.72

Medallists

1. Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (Bahamas) 24.38
2. Etiene Medeiros (Brazil) 24.55
3. Natalie Coughlin (USA) 24.66

Natalie Coughlin of the United States was off the blocks like a rocket, but it was Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace representing the Bahamas who sped things up in the middle of the pool to take home the gold.

Touching the wall in 24.38, Vanderpool-Wallace was just off her Pan American Games record that she set in prelims. Brazilian swimmer Eiiene Medeiros also managed to pass Coughlin, setting a new Brazilian national record as she clocked in at 24.55.

Coughlin managed a bronze medal with a personal best time by 0.24 seconds in order to drop a 24.66. The fastest she had been in her career prior to this was a 24.90 at the  2013 Arena Grand Prix in Mesa.

All three ladies cracked the top 10 world rankings. Vanderpool-Wallace sits fourth, Medeiros sits eighth, and Coughlin sits 10th.

MEN’S 50m FREESTYLE

• World record: 20.91 – Cesar Cielo (Brazil) 2009
• Pan Am Games record: 21.58 – Cesar Cielo (Brazil) 2011
• Americas record: 20.91 – Cesar Cielo (Brazil) 2009
• 10th fastest time in the world this season: 21.98

Medallists

1. Josh Schneider (USA) 21.86
2. Bruno Fratus (Brazil) 21.91
3. George Bovell (T&T) 22.17

For the second time today Josh Schneider of the United States dipped under the 22-second barrier in the 50m freestyle. This time, he was just a little bit faster than he was in prelims which gives him the fifth ranked time in the world this season.

Bruno Fratus of Brazil showed up after a rather disappointing prelim swim, going 21.91 to be the only other swimmer of the day to drop below 22-seconds.

Famed sprinter George Bovell managed to get his hand on the wall for the bronze in 22.17.