Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Aurora’s Jessica Rodriguez, a senior at Cherry Creek High School, led a dominant American women’s contingent in the swimming events at the fourth day of the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday.
“The gold medal is the best birthday present I’ve ever received,” said Rodriquez, who turned 17 Tuesday.
Rodriguez won gold in the 400-meter freestyle and teammate Kathleen Hersey of Atlanta won the 400 individual medley. Teresa Crippen of Conshohocken, Pa., whose older brother Fran won the open-water event earlier in the games, got silver in the medley. Corinne Showalter (Sarasota, Fla.) was a bronze medalist in the freestyle.
Brazil’s men were just as impressive. In the 400 IM, Thiago Pereira, ranked fourth in the world, beat Robert Margalis (Flushing, N.Y.) for the gold. Then Pereira helped Brazil take the 800 relay over the U.S. team.
Men’s gymnastics
The U.S. men’s team got in on the medals as Justin Spring of Burke, Va., won the parallel bars; Guillermo Alvarez of Denver was second to Brazil’s Diego Hypolito in floor exercise; and Sean Golden (Camden, N.J.) earned a silver on the rings, trailing Regulo Carmona of Venezuela.
Also
American shooters Tom Tamas of Pittsview, Ala., and Jason Turner of Rush, N.Y., each took gold. The veteran Tamas, 42, beat teammate Michael McPhail of Darlington, Wis., in the 50-meter rifle prone competition. Turner added the 10-meter air pistol title to his 50-meter pistol win the previous day. Thomas Rose of Central Point, Ore., took bronze in air pistol.
Canada’s Sue Nattrass won the women’s trap shooting, with Corey Cogdell of Eagle River, Alaska, grabbing bronze.
Canada’s men’s rowing pair of Chris Jarvis and Dan Casaca won gold, beating Americans Daniel Beery (Oaktown, Ind.), and Patrick O’Dunne (Nazareth, Pa.). Chile’s Soraya Jadue and Maria Jose Orellana won the women’s pairs as Ruth Stiver (Madisonville, Texas), and Jennifer Reck (Detroit) earned bronze.
The lightweight double sculls was won by Cubans Eyder Batista and Yunior P Derez, followed by Rich Montgomery (Batavia, Ill.), and Andrew Liverman (Washington).
Santiago Fernandez, Argentina, won men’s single sculls, and Cuba’s Mayra Gonzalez earned the women’s title.
Taekwondo winners were Rosario Espinoza of Mexico in the over 67 kilos class, and Cuban Gerardo Ortiz in the men’s over 80 kilos.
Anthony Graf (Queens, N.Y.) won silver.
In women’s weightlifting’s 69-kilo class, Angela Medina of Colombia was the winner.
In the team events, Angie Loy (Loysville, Pa.) and Kelly Doton (Greenfield, Mass.) scored two goals each to lead the women’s field hockey team over Cuba 7-0, earning a spot in the semifinals. The Americans scored twice in the first five minutes on the way to their romp.
All of the baseball games, including Brazil-U.S., were postponed because of wet fields after heavy rains on Monday.
In addition to Team USA winning six medals, every American swimming in a semifinal advanced to the finals, which will be Wednesday.
Athens Olympian Mark Gangloff (Stow, Ohio) broke his own games record in the 100-meter breaststroke in 1:00.24. Christian Schurr (Austin, Texas) also qualified for the finals.
IM winner Kathleen Hersey (Atlanta) and Samantha Woodward (Edmond, Okla.) turned in the top two times in the women’s 100-meter butterfly semifinal. Woodward also advanced in the women’s 50 free, as did 2004 Olympian Maritza Correira (Valrico, Fla.).
Gabe Woodward (Bakersfield, Calif.) swam the 100 free in 49.48, the second-best time, and Dale Rogers (Austin, Texas) was fifth at 49.67. Pat O’Neil (Roseburg, Ore.) advanced in the 100 fly, as did Ricky Berens of Charlotte, N.C.
Beijing bound
Thanks to his second-place finish behind countryman Tom Tamas (Pittsview, Ala.), Michael McPhail (Darlington, Wis.) earned a Beijing Olympic shooting berth for the United States. Tamas already had earned one at the World Cup.
Although Jason Turner (Rush, N.Y.) added the 10-meter air pistol gold to his 50-meter pistol win the previous day, the Olympic slot went to Brazil, which got a silver from Julio Almeida. Turner won a Beijing slot on Monday and was ineligible to do again.
Star of the day
Jason Turner (Rush, N.Y.) won his second gold medal of the 2007 Pan American Games by taking the 10-meter air pistol event. He won the 50-meter pistol the previous day, when he clinched a 2008 Olympic berth for the United States.
His wins helped the United States compile seven golds and 12 overall medals in shooting thus far.
“This has to be right up there at the top, definitely,” Turner said. “It’s very exciting. I had won the air pistol in Santo Domingo in 2003, so to be able to defend the title is very gratifying.”
