Interesting third night at the pool, Canada wins six medals
Canada dropped to third on the swimming medal table, despite winning six medals on Thursday night.
RECAP: Day one | Day two | Day three events: 400m individual medley, 100m butterfly, women’s 4x200m freestyle relay
Women’s 400m individual medley (100m in order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle)
Canada’s Sydney Pickrem was second to American Caitlin Leverenz in swimming’s gruelling medley.
West Vancouver’s Emily Overholt was first at the finish, in a Canadian record time, but disqualified giving Leverenz the gold medal. Pickrem swam 4:38.03 edging Brazil’s Joanna Maranhao who moved to third with 4:38.07.
RELATED: The ‘surprising’ truth about swimming disqualifications
Overholt was being interviewed on television when she was informed of the DQ. The hard truth sobered the Canadian fans after a thrilling start. “It’s unfortunate but I still did the swim so I still know that I have it in me,” said the 17-year-old after finishing her night with a relay bronze (more below).
Emily Overholt reacts after winning the women’s 400 IM. She was later disqualified.
Overholt was out quick, and led by over one second at the halfway point. Leverenz, an Olympic medallist, took back the lead in the breaststroke but relinquished it to Overholt in the final 50 metres. Overholt was told her DQ was for a non-simultaneous touch, a first for her. Swimmers must touch the wall in butterfly and breaststroke with both hands, at the same time. It was ruled at the breaststroke 250m wall and a Canadian appeal was rejected.
It took a lot to pass an Olympic medallist. It would have been even harder to hold it together afterwards, “It’s something to learn from,” she said.
18-year-old Sydney Pickrem after her heats 400 IM at TO2015.
Men’s 400m individual medley
National team newcomer Luke Reilly fought his way to a bronze medal, and was later upgraded to silver by another 400 IM DQ.
Luke Reilly during the finals of the men’s 400 IM.
The 19-year-old turned in fifth place at the final wall and swam past two American swimmers, Max Williamson and Michael Weiss, on the last lap to a time of 4:16.16. Brazilian Thiago Pereira was the winner but taken off the board because of a disqualification. The Olympic silver medallist from London had swam 4:14.08 and his countrymen Brandon Almeida won instead with a time of 4:14.47.
According to the Pan Am press service Pereira said he was told he touched the wall with one hand from breaststroke to freestyle. “C’mon, I’ve been doing that for 15 years of my life, I’ve never been DQ’d like that. I’m pretty sure I touched with two hands,” he said. A Brazilian protest was rejected.
In addition to Reilly, American Max Williamson benefits from the DQ, taking the bronze in 4:16.91.
Women’s 100m butterfly
Timing on the touch.
American Kelsi Worrell got it right, reaching in for a golden 57.78. Timing on the touch. Noemie Thomas was next in 58.00 and Katerine Savard third in 58.05.
Noemie Thomas during the 100m butterfly final at PAn Am Games.
It was a good result for the 19-year-old Thomas who said she was sick earlier in the week, “I was really glad I had the support and the staff was able to help me get back to my best,” said the Richmond, BC native.
Savard is the Canadian record holder in the event but was well off her 57.27 personal best and was visibly disappointed.
Katerine Savard races the women’s 100m butterfly final. She ended up third behind silver-medal winning teammate Noemie Thomas.
Men’s 100m butterfly
Everyone went 52-seconds. Santo Condorelli went the third fastest.
The 20-year-old swam 52.42 seconds for bronze, only 14 one-hundredths from Joe Bartoch’s Canadian record. American Giles Smith won the race in a Pan Am record 52.04, with Santiago Grassi of Argentina second by only five one-hundredths.
That’s two individual medals for Condorelli, who was second in the 100m freestyle.
Women’s 4x200m freestyle relay
The United States walked away with the gold medal in a Pan Am record time of 7:54.32. Brazil was second and Canada was third.
Canada’s 4x200m freestyle relay with their TO2015 bronze medals. Emily Overholt (from left), Katerine Savard, Alyson Ackman, and Brittany Maclean.
It was Canada’s sixth official medal of the night and a competition leading 19th. However, after day three both the US (16 medals) and Brazil (14 medals) have six gold medals to Canada’s five. Competition continues Friday and ends Saturday.
