Pan Pacific Para-Swimming Championships: Jessica Long Sets Fourth World Record in Five Tries

EDMONTON, Canada, August 15. THE United States stacked another 15 medals onto its tally on the fourth night of competition at the Pan Pacific Para-Swimming Championships.

Leading the way for Team USA, once again, was Jessica Long (Baltimore, Md.) who broke another world record, her fourth in five individual events. Saturday night's record came in the 200m individual medley (SM8) with a time of 2:38.15. Long wasn't done for the evening as she also went on to win gold in the 100m backstroke (S8).

Long wasn't the only record-setting, double gold medal-winning American on day four. Mallory Weggemann (Eagan, Minn.) swam to a new world record in the 100m backstroke (S7) with a time of 1:23.17 and she claimed another gold medal in the 200m individual medley (SM7).

"I've wanted that [backstroke] record for a long time," said Weggemann. "I had a bad turn and when I saw my split, I thought I gotta get a move on! I'm really excited I won another gold and was able to finally get that record."

Team USA's other gold medalists on the evening were Rudy Garcia-Tolson (Bloomington, Calif.), who topped the podium in the 200m individual medley (SM7), and Kelley Becherer (Sheboygan, Wis.) who took the top spot in the 100m backstroke (S13). Becherer also won silver in the 200m individual medley (SM13).

The women had two additional double medalists on Saturday. Cortney Jordan (Henderson, Nev.) tallied a silver in the 200m individual medley (SM7) and bronze in the 100m backstroke (S7), while Susan Beth Scott (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) earned bronze medals in both the 100m backstroke (S10) and 200m individual medley (SM10). Elizabeth Stone (Grand Rapids, Mich.) rounded out the medals for the women, winning bronze in the 100m backstroke (S9).

In the men's individual events, Michael Prout (West Springfield, Mass.) picked up a bronze medal in the 200m individual medley (SM9) and, while he didn't win a medal, Michael DeMarco (San Diego, Calif.) broke the American record in the 150m individual medley (SM3) with a time of 3:35.46.

"I keep improving my times and getting faster," said DeMarco. "I felt really good tonight and was happy to see that I broke the record in the IM, but it's really a team effort at this meet and we are swimming well as a team."

The men also had great success in the relay events. Both the 20 point freestyle relay and 34 point medley relay teams claimed bronze, the first men's relay medals for the U.S. in international competition since the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens.

"Our men did something tonight that has not been done for the United States in a very long time," said U.S. head coach Tom Franke. "Congratulations to the men on stepping up with some great performances and winning two relay medals."

The U.S. had collected a total of 62 medals and leads the overall medal count, ahead of Australia with 60 and Canada with 45.

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