Wowow!!!! So happy with my first international games record and gold medal. De plus chanter l’hyme national en français parce que je ne connais pas les mots en anglais!! Thanks so much to everyone who watched and cheered!!!! https://t.co/OD2i48gvRR
— Geneviève Lalonde (@lalongen) August 10, 2019
Guelph’s Genevieve Lalonde, the Canadian record holder in the 3,000m steeplechase won gold and set a new Pan Am Games record Saturday in Lima, Peru. She finished in the time of 9:41.45. Although the organizers have the performance listed as a new personal best, it isn’t, she has run 9:29.99 in the London 2017 IAAF World Track and Field Championships and 9:29.82 in the Shanghai Diamond League meet in May this year.
American Marisa Howard finished second (9:43.78) and Argentinian Belen Casetta finished third in 9:44.46. Casetta owns the Argentinian record at 9:25.99 from London 2017. Howard is a Boise State alumna and former all-American cross-country runner.
Edmonton’s Marco Arup took exactly one second off of his 800-metre personal best. For his effort, he earned a gold medal.
He finished in the time of 1:44.25. His personal best was 1:45.25 from June of 2018.
Wesley Vazquez of Puerto Rico finished second in the time of 1:44.48 Ryan Estrada also of Puerto Rico took the bronze in 1:45.19.
Vazquez led through 400m in the time of 49.74.
On Friday, four qualified out of Arop’s heat with Vazquez winning in the time of 1:48.38, Arop finished in 1:48.71 Jelssin Mena qualified with a 1:49.51 and Alejandro Lopez wasn’t an auto qualifier with his fourth-place finish – he had to wait for the other semi-final to finish before he knew if he placed in at least eighth overall – he did just that.
Ten-minutes later, the competing heat went and American Bryce Hoppel won in 1:48.04. As typical, the athletes were running tactically, to save themselves for the final. Sanchez finished second (1:48.62), while Marco Gonzalez of Peru finished third (1:49.49). Luciro Garrido of Venezuela hung on for all that he had to get the final spot from his heat at 1:49.51.
Hoppel paid for winning his heat as he finished fourth and out of the medals on Saturday with a finish time well back of bronze with his 1:47.48 performance.
Calgary’s Ryan Smeeton finished sixth in the men’s steeplechase 11 seconds back of winner Altobeli Santos da Silva. Colombian Carlos Diaz earned silver (8:32.24) and bronze was earned by Mario Arganona (8:32.34).
Three teams had to run season-best performances to stay in the medal hunt of the women’s 4 x 400m relay, but it was the perennially strong Americans who took gold in a commanding win with a 3:26.46 performance. Canada earned silver in 3:27.01 and Jamaica finished a close third just over half a second back of Canada with their 3:27.61 performance.
Full results are available here>>
