By Steve Keating
SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Bill May became the first male to win a medal in artistic swimming at the Pan American Games on Friday, but the 44-year-old American trailblazer will have to wait a bit longer to see if he can make the same history at the Paris Olympics.
With only the winner of the team gold securing a quota spot for the Paris Games, the United States came up just short with Mexico taking top spot on the podium with an aggregate score of 786.2546 (combining marks for the technical, free and acrobatic swims), just .6638 ahead of the Americans.
May and his U.S. teammates will now pin their Olympic hopes on next year’s world championships in Doha where they can secure a quota spot with a top five finish.
“I’m unbelievably proud. There is no doubt this will make us stronger. We will be in Doha, and we will be at the 2024 Olympic Games,” U.S. coach Andrea Fuentes said.
Mexico also played the spoiler role in the women’s soccer gold medal match, beating Chile 1-0 on a first-half goal from Rebeca Bernal.
It was a brave effort from the hosts who were forced to play the final without first choice goalkeeper Christiane Endler and backup Antonia Canales, who were required to return to their club teams in Europe because the championship match was being played outside the international window.
Striker Maria Jose Urrutia stepped up to take on keeper duties for Chile and played with grit but could not get her glove on Bernal’s 30th minute free kick that flew into the top right corner.
Argentina heaped more disappointment on the host, taking a 3-1 in the men’s field hockey gold.
On the penultimate day of track and field action there were eight gold up for grabs, with Brazil and Cuba each winning two. But it was Venezuela’s Joselyn Brea taking the spotlight adding the women’s 1,500 metres gold to the 5,000m she won earlier.
Canada got the day off to a golden start winning the first three events in the canoe sprint: Michelle Russell in the women’s K1 500m), Ian Gaudet and Simon McTavish the men’s K2 500m and Alix Plomteux and Craig Spence the men’s C2 500m.
Other gold went to Mexico in the women’s K4 500m and Cuba’s Yarisleidis Cirilo Duboys in the women’s C1 200m.
Canada and the United States squared off for the fencing medals, with the Americans getting the better of their North American neighbours in both, taking gold in the men’s foil and women’s sabre.
Brazil’s Stephan de Freitas Barcha won the final event in the equestrian competition, grabbing gold in the individual show jumping, but accepted his medal in an empty stadium as Canada lodged a protest over who won bronze.
After the competition Canada argued a judging error had denied Amy Millar a place on the podium.
Millar, the daughter of 10-time Canadian Olympian Ian Millar, had appeared to have won the bronze medal after what looked a clean ride but was later ruled to have clipped a barrier, finishing sixth.
After more than two hours of deliberation the judges ruled Millar had dislodged a fence and the podium would remain unchanged with Barcha the winner ahead of Americans Kent Farrington and McLain Ward.
Brazil scooped all three gold on offer in rhythmic gymnastics winning the five hoops, Maria Alexandre the individual hoop and Barbara Domingos the individual ball competition.
With two days of competition remaining the United States reached 100 gold on Friday and 234 total medals.
Brazil sits second on 56 gold and 165 overall followed by Mexico (42/113) and Canada (40/139).
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Santiago; Editing by Jamie Freed)
