U.S. Piles Up Medals
Even while the head of the Pan Am organizing committee was questioning the large number of athletes sent by the United States, Americans kept on dominating the medals race.
Dean Panaro, who is all too aware that the 1-meter diving event he won will not be contested at the Olympics, won his first international event and the Americans’ first diving gold in three tries. U.S swimmers won four of five races, giving them 14 golds in 20 events.
Mario Vasquez Rana, president of the Pan American Sports Organization, is looking to the future of all multisport events, and wondering how big they can grow.
“It’s craziness,” Vasquez Rana said, referring to the U.S. delegation of 1,200 people. “I don’t know why they brought so many. It was a mistake. It’s not even good for them.”
From the standpoint of medals, it has been great; the United States has a huge lead, which the swimmers added to with the four golds, a silver and three bronzes.
Josh Davis of San Antonio won the 400-meter freestyle and swam a leg on the victorious 400 freestyle relay that set a Pan Am record. Seth van Neerden of Wilmington, Del., won his second individual gold by capturing the 200 breaststroke.
On the women’s side, Amy Van Dyken won the 100 butterfly to go with her gold in the 400 freestyle relay.