The 2019 Pan American Games entered its first night of competition in Peru, as athletes from the Americas convened for an intracontinental showdown. Positioned at the end of a climactic summer, the Games had much work to do in the immediate aftermath of the World Championships. In true form, however, the athletes delivered, kicking off the event in a way that sent shockwaves throughout the swimming community. A mere tease of what is to come, tonight’s events showcased the strength of the Americas, as Lima revs up for an exciting week of competition.
Brazil came out on top on the men’s side, as Breno Martina Correia, Marcelo Chierighini, Bruno Fratus, and Pedro Spajari combined forces to throw down a 3:12.61 in the men’s 400 free relay to slash the meet record. With every man holding under :49, the quartet was wholly unstoppable, jumping to an immediate lead that only extended with each leg.
The United States’ dynamic combination of Michael Chadwick, Drew Kibler, Grant House, and Nathan Adrian was good enough for silver, as the men clocked in at 3:14.94 to put distance between themselves and Mexico’s A-team of Gabriel Garcia, Carranza Ramirez, Andres Cesar, and Feng Gutierrez (3:17.70).
Nathan Adrian, who has made a recent return to the sport after a battle with testicular cancer, dropped one of the fastest splits in the field with a 47.70 anchor leg, second only to Chierighini’s 47.45. One of the marquee players in this year’s Pan American Games, Adrian will surely be nurturing his comeback with more fast times in the coming days, as his road to recovery may point in the direction of Tokyo.
Happy to see Nathan Adrian do well today!