2019 Pan American Games Swimming: Bacon Swims 59.6 100 Back; Team USA Leads All Six Preliminary Events

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Phoebe Bacon is the top seed in the women's 100 back. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

The third morning from the 2019 Pan American Swimming pool in Lima, Peru had the heats of the 100 free, 200 breast and 100 back on Thursday. No Games records fell on day three but the swimmers might just be holding themselves for finals later on in the day. The United States has the top seed for finals in all six individual events with the 800 free finals also taking place tonight.

Margo GeerMichael ChadwickAnnie LazorNic FinkPhoebe Bacon and Daniel Carr will have lane four in their respective finals tonight. The Americans will also have the top seeds in the 800 free with the likes of Mariah Denigan and Andrew Abruzzo seeded first in those events.

Women’s 100 Free

USA’s Margo Geer posted the top time in the 100 free heats on Thursday morning at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru with a 54.65. Geer’s season best is a 54.09 from January as she is also coming off a showing at the World Championships a couple weeks ago, swimming on the prelims relay of the 4×100 free relay. Geer has already been on two gold medal winning relays this week, anchoring the women’s 4×100 free relay on Tuesday night and then swimming last night on the mixed 4×100 free relay.

Geer was the only one to break 55 this morning as Canada’s Alexia Zevnik (55.36) and Alyson Ackman (55.78) are seeded second and third. Zevnik and Ackman both swam in the United States in college with Zevnik graduating from NC State and Ackman graduating from Penn State. The Canadians won the bronze medal in the 4×100 free relay behind Brazil, who had Larissa Oliveira (56.02) and Daynara de Paula (56.65) place fourth and sixth this morning.

USA’s Lia Neal (56.49) placed fifth as she also is coming off the World Championships where she swam the prelims relay for the silver medal winning 4×100 free relay team.

Cuba’s Elisbet Gamez Matos (57.03) and Bolivia’s Karen Torrez (57.19) also qualified for the final.

RESULTS:

  1. 54.65, Margo Geer, USA
  2. 55.36, Alexia Zevnik, CAN
  3. 55.78, Alyson Ackman, CAN
  4. 56.02, Larissa Oliveira, BRA
  5. 56.49, Lia Neal, USA
  6. 56.65, Daynara De Paula, BRA
  7. 57.03, Elisbet Gamez Matos, CUB
  8. 57.19, Karen Torrez, BOL

Men’s 100 Free

USA’s Michael Chadwick is the top seed in the crowded heats of the men’s 100 free that took place Thursday morning at the 2019 Pan American Games swimming pool in Lima, Peru. Chadwick was the only one under 49 seconds with a 48.94 as he and Nathan Adrian are coming off a showing at the World Championships a few weeks ago. Chadwick was slightly off his season best of 48.70 from June.

Since 1995, only one American has won a medal in the men’s 100 free at the Pan American Games and that was Gabe Woodward in 2007 winning a bronze.

Adrian is seeded sixth with a 49.54 this morning. He is coming off a hectic year where he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in January. Adrian already has two medals this week in Lima with a silver in the men’s 4×100 free relay and a gold in the mixed 4×100 free relay last night.

Brazil’s Marcelo Chierighini (49.02) and Aruba’s Mikel Schreuders (49.08) are seeded second and third after the heats. Chierighini had the fastest split on Brazil’s gold medal winning 4×100 free relay with a 47.45 on Tuesday night. He won the bronze medal in 2015 in this event and also has the fourth fastest time in the world this year. Schreuders is looking to win Aruba’s first medal in swimming at the Pan American games.

Venezuela’s Cristian Quintero (49.15) and Brazil’s Breno Correia (49.24) are also within striking distance of the medals as Correia was also on Brazil’s gold medal winning relay and won silver in the 200 free last night.

Cayman Island’s Brett Fraser (49.68) also advanced to the final as there was a three-way tie for eighth between Mexico’s Long Gutierrez, Argentina’s Guido Buscaglia and Suriname’s Renzo Tjon-a-Joe at 49.73.

RESULTS:

  1. 48.94, Michael Chadwick, USA
  2. 49.02, Marcelo Chierighini, BRA
  3. 49.08, Mikel Schreuders, ARU
  4. 49.15, Cristian Quintero, VEN
  5. 49.24, Breno Correia, BRA
  6. 49.54, Nathan Adrian, USA
  7. 49.68, Brett Fraser, CAY
  8. 49.73, Long Gutierrez, MEX
  9. 49.73, Guido Buscaglia, ARG
  10. 49.73, Renzo Tjon-A-Joe, SUR

Women’s 200 Breast

USA’s Annie Lazor is the top seed in the women’s 200 breast on Thursday morning at the 2019 Pan American Games with an easy 2:26.71 this morning in Lima. Lazor was a 2:20 earlier this season so she is the heavy favorite to win the gold medal despite the fact she is only three tenths seeded ahead of Mexico’s Melissa Rodriguez. Lazor should be able to upgrade her bronze she won in 2015 in this event.

USA’s Bethany Galat also cruised this morning with a 2:27.81 for the third seed for the final as she is ahead of Canada’s Mary-Sophie Harvey (2:29.06). The United States and Canada have won all of the medals in the women’s 200 breast at the Pan American Games since 1991 with Argentina last winning a medal in 1987. That trend could be broken in 2019 with the likes of Rodriguez and Argentina’s Julia Sebastian (2:29.27), who is seeded fifth.

Sebastian won the silver medal in the 100 breaststroke earlier in the meet and she could add another medal to Argentina’s collections as they have swum really well thus far this week in Lima.

Canada’s Tess Cieplucha (2:30.09), Bahamas’ Laura Morley (2:30.21) and Mexico’s Esther Gonzalez Medina (2:30.26) also advanced to the final.

RESULTS:

  1. 2:26.71, Annie Lazor, USA
  2. 2:27.00, Melissa Rodriguez, MEX
  3. 2:27.81, Bethany Galat, USA
  4. 2:29.06, Mary-Sophie Harvey, CAN
  5. 2:29.27, Julia Sebastian, ARG
  6. 2:30.09, Tess Cieplucha, CAN
  7. 2:30.21, Laura Morley, BAH
  8. 2:30.26, Esther Gonzalez Medina, MEX

Men’s 200 Breast

USA’s Nic Fink (2:10.02) and Will Licon (2:10.62) were long and strong in the 200 breast heats on Thursday morning at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima. Fink and Licon are swimming their lone event here as they will be looking to win the United States’ first gold medal in this event at the Pan American Games since 2011.

Fink was right on his season best of 2:09.93 from the TYR Pro Swim Series in March which put him as the sixth fastest American this year with Licon sitting just ahead of him in fifth. Both Fink and Licon should be much quicker tonight as both guys will be wanting to gain some momentum into the Olympic year.

Mexico’s duo of Miguel de Lara Ojeda (2:11.82) and Mauro Castillo (2:13.07) are seeded third and fourth and are in a perfect position to medal. Mexico has not medaled in this event at Pan Ams since 1971 when Olympic champion Felipe Munoz won the silver medal in Cali. Mexico has actually not won a medal in men’s swimming since 2007 so tonight could be huge for the country.

Venezuela’s Carlos Claverie (2:13.57), Marco Guarente (2:13.64), Argentina’s Gabriel Morelli (2:13.64) and Canada’s James Dergousoff (2:13.73) are also within striking distance of the medals. Venezuela hasn’t won a medal in men’s swimming since 2011.

RESULTS:

  1. 2:10.02, Nic Fink, USA
  2. 2:10.62, Will Licon, USA
  3. 2:11.82, Miguel de Lara Ojeda, MEX
  4. 2:13.07, Mauro Castillo, MEX
  5. 2:13.57, Carlos Claverie, VEN
  6. 2:13.64, Gabriel Morelli, ARG
  7. 2:13.64, Marco Guarente, VEN
  8. 2:13.73, James Dergousoff, CAN

Women’s 100 Back

USA’s Phoebe Bacon successfully broke 1:00 on Thursday morning at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima with a 59.66 in the 100 back heats. Bacon was able to move up to 18th in the world this year with her time as she improved on her 59.90 from earlier this summer. Bacon is the sixth fastest American this year and the top seed for the final tonight. Bacon will have to swim against defending champion Etiene Medeiros of Brazil, who finished seventh this morning at 1:02.85.

Medeiros almost missed the final but she was able to get a lane so she could try to successfully defend her 2015 gold medal, something only Silvia Poll has been able to accomplish.

Bacon is over a second ahead of Canada’s Danielle Hanus (1:00.75) and fellow American Ali DeLoof (1:01.12). Hanus was quicker at the Canadian Trials with a 1:00.50 in April which puts her just inside the top 50 in the world. DeLoof is right behind the Canadian in 50th place in the world rankings with a 1:00.52 from April.

Brazil’s Fernanda de Goeij (1:01.63), El Salvador’s Carmen Marquez (1:01.92), Argentina’s Andrea Berrino (1:02.34) and Canada’s Madison Broad (1:02.99) also qualified for the final.

RESULTS:

  1. 59.66, Phoebe Bacon, USA
  2. 1:00.75, Danielle Hanus, CAN
  3. 1:01.12, Ali DeLoof, USA
  4. 1:01.63, Fernanda de Goeij, BRA
  5. 1:01.92, Carmen Marquez, ESA
  6. 1:02.34, Andrea Berrino, ARG
  7. 1:02.85, Etiene Medeiros, BRA
  8. 1:02.99, Madison Broad, CAN

Men’s 100 Back

USA’s Daniel Carr was the only swimmer to break 54 seconds on Thursday morning at the 2019 Pan American Games in the 100 backstroke with a 53.97. The time puts Carr 31st in the world for 2019 and makes him the seventh fastest American this year. Carr just finished his sophomore year at Cal Berkeley and has a chance to win the second straight gold medal in this event for the Americans after winning the 200 last night.

The United States has famously been known to churn out great backstrokers and the Pan American Games are no different. The US has won 15 of the 17 gold medals in this event since it was first contested in 1951 and Carr has a chance to build on that tradition.

The other American is Missouri’s Nick Alexander, who is seeded third at 54.68. His time puts him out of the top 50 in the world this year but he did win a silver medal last night behind Carr in the 200 back. Alexander and Carr have a chance to go 1-2 again tonight in the 100 but will have to deal with Brazil’s Guilherme Guido (54.52).

Guido was seventh at the World Championships a couple weeks ago and he is ranked sixth in the world this year. If Guido has another sub-53 in the tank then it could be over for the Americans.

Trinidad’s Dylan Carter (54.95) and Canada’s Javier Acevedo (55.51) also have outside chances at medals as they sit fourth and fifth after this morning.

Paraguay’s Charles Hockin (55.53), Colombia’s Omar Pinzon (55.55) and Barbados’ Jack Kirby (56.08) also qualified for the final.

RESULTS:

  1. 53.97, Daniel Carr, USA
  2. 54.52, Guilherme Guido, BRA
  3. 54.68, Nick Alexander, USA
  4. 54.95, Dylan Carter, TTO
  5. 55.51, Javier Acevedo, CAN
  6. 55.53, Charles Hockin, PAR
  7. 55.55, Omar Pinzon, COL
  8. 56.08, Jack Kirby, BAR

Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay

The United States closed out the morning with the quickest mixed medley relay with Isabelle Stadden (59.69), Kevin Cordes (1:00.59), Matthew Josa (52.30) and Meaghan Raab (55.69) gaining the top seed at 3:48.27. Stadden had a stellar lead off leg with a 59.69 to put her 20th in the world where she actually already stood with her 59.71 in June.

Brazil is seeded second with their team of Leonardo De Deus (55.17), Jhennifer Conceicao (1:08.27), Vini Lanza (52.84) and Manuella Lyrio (56.14).

RESULTS:

  1. United States, 3:48.27, Stadden, Cordes, Josa, Raab
  2. Brazil, 3:52.42, De Deus, Conceicao, Lanza, Lyrio
  3. Canada, 3:54.27, Acevedo, Dergousoff, Black, Leibel
  4. Colombia, 3:56.46, Rincon, Murillo, Becerra, Rowe
  5. Mexico, 4:01.65, Pulido, Gonzalez Medina, Gonzalez, Martinez
  6. Cuba, 4:03.03, Barrera, Calero, Gonzalez, Gamez Matos
  7. Argentina, 4:03.14, Perotti, Bardach, Strelkov, Rodriguez
  8. Venezuela, 4:03.18, Escalante, Guarente, Chavez, Pesce
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