In one of the most exciting races of the meet, the two Pan Am powerhouses squared off in a battle for the last word through the men’s 400 medley relay. Daniel Carr, Nicolas Fink, Thomas Shields, and Nathan Adrian of the United States (3:30.25) combined forces to ultimately take down Brazil’s deadly quartet, but it would take a Pan American record to do so. Falling behind after the first 100, the U.S. had some ground to cover in the breaststroke and fly legs, especially as the men prepared for Brazil’s marquee sprinter, Marcelo Chierghini, at anchor. In true form, Fink and Shields delivered, giving Adrian an adequate advantage headed into the final 100, where the men not only took down their Brazilian rivals, but also shattered the country’s Pan Am record from 2015.
Had the Americans not had such an incredible performance, Brazil’s team of Guilherme Gido, Joao Gomes, Vinivius Moreira, and Marcelo Chierghini would have also slashed the previous Pan Am record with their time of 3:30.98, over a second and a half faster than the previous mark.
The two teams ran away from the rest of the field, as Agustin Hernandez, Gabriel Morelli, Santiago Grassi, and Federico Grabich took third honors for Argentina with a time of 3:38.41. A case study for the unraveling of the entire meet, this event left spectators giddy for the coming year, as the summer season comes to a close and ushers in some of the most anticipated months of competition to date.
Congratulations guys great job
GO USA GO
Great win!!! Incredible race by the USA , and Brazil.