Team USA at Pan Am Games 2019

Daily news and updates about the 2019 Team USA Pan American Team, live from Lima, Peru! We're also on Instagram and Soundcloud!

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DAY 11 - MEDALS!

Gold:

Sandra Uptagraftt (Women's Shooting 25m Pistol) 

Christian Elliot (Men's Shooting Skeet) 

Evita Griskenas (Women's Rythmic Gymnastics Individual All-Around) 

Caroline Dolehide/Usue Arconada (Women's Doubles Tennis) 

Team USA (Men's Track Cycling Pursuit) 

Jennifer Valente (Women's Track Cycling Omnium) 

Silver:

Mindy Miles/Lucas Kozeniesky (Shooting Air Rifle Mixed Team). 

Camilla Feeley (Women's Rythmic Gymnastics Individual All-Around) 

Team USA (Women's Rythmic Gymnastics Team All-Around) 

Bronze:

Michael Nixon/Andrew Capobianco (Men's Diving Synchronised 3m Springboard)

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DAY 10 - RESULTS!

Badminton:

Men's Doubles Final: Phillip Chew/Ryan Chew fell to Nyl Yakura/Jason Ho-Shue of Canada (11-21, 21-19, 18-21).

Women's Doubles Final: Jamie Hsu/Kuei-Ya Chen fell to Kristen Tsai/Rachel Honderich of Canada (10-21, 9-21).

Basketball:

Men's Team fell to Puerto Rica (84-87). They're 2-1 and will face Argentina in the semi-final.

Boxing:

Men's Bantam (56kg) Final: Duke Ragan fell to David Caballero of Cuba.

Men's Light Welter (64kg) Final: Keyshawn Davis fell to Andy Cruz of Cuba.

Women's Fly (48-51kg) Final: Virginia Fuchs fell to Lorena Valencia of Colombia.

Women's Middle (69-75kg) Final: Naomi Graham fell to Jessica Caicedo of Colombia.

Canoe Slalom:

Evy Leibfarth finished 1st of the Women's Extreme Slalom (K1) Heat 3.

Track Cycling:

Team USA finished 1st of the Women's Pursuit.

Diving:

Sarah Bacon finished 1st of the Women's 1m Springboard Final.

Brooke Schulz finished 2nd of the Women's 1m Springboard Final.

Steele Johnson/Benjamin Bramley finished 4th of the Synchronised 10m Platform Final.

Equestrian:

Team USA leads the Eventing Competition after Dressage.

Handball:

Men's Team fell to Chile (24-34). They're 1-2 and will play placement.

Field Hockey:

Women's Team def Peru (8-0). They're 3-0.

Racquetball:

Men's Singles Preliminary: Jakob Bredenbeck def Sebastian Franco of Colombia (2-0).

Women's Singles Preliminary: Kelani Lawrence fell to Paz Munoz of Ecuador (0-2).

Women's Singles Preliminary: Rhonda Rajsich def Montserrat Mejia of Mexico (2-0).

Men's Singles Preliminary: Charles Pratt fell to Coby Iwaasa of Canada (1-2).

Men's Doubles Preliminary: Charles/Pratt/ R.O Carson III def to Coby Iwaasa/Samuel Murray (2-1).

Rythmic Gymnastics:

Evite Griskenas finished 1st of the Women's Individual All Around and Qualifications Rotation 1.

Camilla Feeley finished 4th of the Women's Individual All Around and Qualifications Rotation 1.

Evita Griskenas finished 1st of the Individual All Around and Qualifications Rotation 2.

Camilla Feeley finished 3rd of the Individual All Around and Qualifications Rotation 2.

Team USA finished 3rd of the Groups All Around Final and Qualifications Rotation 1

Shooting:

Christian Elliott finished 5th of the Men's Skeet Qualification - Day 1.

Philipp Jungman finished 7th of the Men's Skeet Qualification - Day 1.

Nathalia Granados finished 9th of the Women's 25m Pistol Qualification - Precision.

Lucas Kozeniesky finished 1st of the Men's 10m Air Rifle Final.

Timothy Sherry finished 5th of the Men's 10m Air Rifle Final.

Kimberly Rhode finished 1st of the Women's Skeet Final.

Dania Vizzi finished 3rd of the Women's Skeet Final.

Surf:

Candice Appleby finished 2nd of the Women's SUP Race Final.

Connor Baxter finished 1st of the Men's SUP Race Final.

Women's Longboard Repechage Round 3: Tiare Thompson fell to Fernanda Maria Reyes of Peru.

Men's SUP Surfing Main Round 3: Daniel Hughes fell to Tamil Martino of Peru.

Women's SUP Surfing Main Round 3: Candice Appleby fell to Vania Torres of Peru.

Tennis:

Women's Singles Quarterfinals: Usue Arconada fell to Nadia Podoroska of Argentina (4-6, 4-6).

Women's Doubles Quarterfinals: Usue Arconada/Caroline Dolehide def Alexa Guarachi/Daniela Seguel of Chile (7-5, 6-3).

Women's Singles Quarterfinals:  Caroline Dolehide def Daniela Seguel of Chile (7-5, 7-6).

Volleyball:

Men's Team fell to Brazil (2-3). They're 1-2.

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MEDALS - DAY 10!

Gold:

Conor Baxter (Men's Surf SUP Race) 

Lucas Kozeniesky (Men's Shooting 10m Air Rifle) 

Kim Rhode (Women's Shooting Skeet) 

Team USA (Women's Cycling Track Pursuit)

Sarah Bacon (Women’s Diving 1m Springboard)

Silver:

Candice Appleby (Women's Surf SUP Race) 

Phillip Chew/Ryan Chew (Men's Badminton Doubles) 

Jamie Hsu/Kuei Chen (Women's Badminton Doubles) 

Bronze:

Dania Vizzi (Women's Shooting Skeet) 

Brooke Schultz (Women’s Diving 1m Springboard)

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Gregg Leather (Softball): “These guys have worked hard to put men’s program back on the map”

Team USA Men’s Softball won silver at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. A great performance for the team coached by Gregg Leather.

“It is the first time we have been on the medal stand since 2003. These guys have worked hard to put the men’s program back on the map. And they have done a great job” said Leather after losing to Argentina in the final.

Antonio Mancha on taking the silver medal:: “I think everybody is pretty happy with where we ended up. We did not give up. Argentina is a tough team. We have only beaten them once in the last four times we played them.”

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Andrea Fuentes (Artistic Swimming): “We created the expectation”

Team USA coach since this season, Andrea Fuentes was happy after her team claimed overall team bronze at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games on Wednesday.

Fuentes spoke about integrating an innovative and difficult lift, in which swimmer Nicole Goot is thrown in the air and caught again in a standing position, before performing a second acrobatic sequence: “ I remember the first day I came, I told them: ‘we want to do something very crazy guys, and I told them that we want to do this lift and they said, ‘are you serious?’ she said. “And I said ‘yes’ and then they were looking to me like, ‘OK, let’s do it’. And they did it. They did it six months later”

"We created the expectation. This is good in our sport. Usually you have to create emotion in the sense of risk. So we had the risk so everyone was like, 'let’s see if they can do it or not’. We couldn’t do it in all the competitions, it never happened. This is the first one where it worked. The first idea was to do a flip on the top but that’s too crazy. It will happen one day. Before they kill me”

On how it was to watch her team perform the routine she had created for them: “It was a mix of emotions. Firstly I’m proud because we did it finally, the lift landed on her hands, like the craziest thing ever and the other mixed emotion is that I’m not completely satisfied of course, as a coach, because I know we can do even better”

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Amanda Sobhy (Squash): “I’m looking to repeat the three gold medals in the next Pan Am Games”

There is no doubting the identity of the reigning queen of Pan American squash.

The all-conquering Amanda Sobhy led her team to victory on Wednesday evening as USA defeated Canada in the women’s team final at CAR VIDENA, Villa Deportivo Nacional, to become the first woman to take six straight golds in the singles, doubles and team events across two successive Pan American Games.

“There was lots of hard work behind it. Over the past four years I was dreaming of it, believing in it, visualising. And here we are.” the 26-year-old multi-medalist said.

And while the highest-ranked US player of all-time is hugely proud to represent the United States, she says that much of her squash pedigree can be traced back to her Egyptian roots.

“I grew up with an Egyptian background. I often went to Egypt to play and from there I inherited my attacking style," Sobhy said.

"In addition I have a strong foundation with the British style” she said. “My attacking style is my strength and my power, and I also use my attacking nature."

Looking back at what she has achieved at Lima 2019, SOBHY says that clinching the singles title was “a massive relief”.

“It was a long week. The individual event was the toughest because you play the top players in the draw and I had a lot of pressure to win my gold medal again,” she said.

But like all great sporting champions, simply winning is never enough.

“I’m looking to repeat the three gold medals in the next Pan Am Games” she said. “It’s not going to be easy but I have to do it. It’s my goal."

Giuliana Grillo

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DAY 9 - MEDALS! 

Gold:

Ali Weisz (Women's Shooting 10m Air Rifle)

Daniel Holloway (Men's Track Cycling Omnium)

Oshae Jones (Women’s Boxing -69kg)

Silver:

Mindy Miles (Women's Shooting 10m Air Rifle)

Team USA (Men's Softball)

Brooke Schultz/Sarah Bacon (Women's Diving Synchronised 3m Springboard)

Bronze:

Iris Wang (Women's Badminton Singles)

Paula Obanana/Howard Shu (Mixed Badminton Doubles)

Andrew Capobianco (Men's Diving 1m Springboard)

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DAY 9 - RESULTS!

Badminton:

Women's Singles Semifinals: Iris Wang fell to Michelle Li of Canada (10-21, 5-21).

Men's Doubles Semifinals: Phillip Chew/Ryan Chew def Francielton.

Farias/Fabricio Farias of Brazil (20-22, 21-13, 21-17). They're qualified for the Final.

Mixed Doubles Semifinals: Howard Shu/Paula Obanana fell to Nyl Yakura/Kristen Tsai of Canada.

Women's Doubles Semifinals: Jamie Hsu/Kuei-Ya Chen def Jaqueline Lima/Samia Lima of Brazil. They're qualified for the Final.

Basketball:

Men's Team def Venezuela 70-53. They're 2-0.

Boxing:

Women's Welter Final: Oshae Jones def Myriam Da Silva of Canada.

Track Cycling:

Team USA finished 1st of the Women's Pursuit 1st round. They're qualified for the Gold Medal Final.

Daniel Holloway finished 1st of the Men's Omnium.

Diving:

Brook Schultz/Sarah Bacon finished 2nd of the Women's Synchronised 3m Springboard Final.

Andrew Capobianco finished 3rd of the Men's 1m Springboard Final.

Michael Hixon finished 6th of the Men's 1m Springboard Final.

Handball:

Men's Team def Cuba (26-25). They're 1-1.

Field Hockey:

Men's Team fell to Canada (0-4). They're 1-1.

Shooting:

Dania Vizzi finished 1st of the Women's Skeet Qualification Day 1.

Kimberly Harryman finished 2nd of the Women's Skeet Qualification Day 2.

Alison Weisz finished 1st of the Women's 10m Air Rifle.

Minden Miles finished 2nd of the Women's 10m Air Rifle.

Keith Sanderson finished 4th of the Men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol.

Jack Leverett III finished 6th of the Men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol.

Surf:

Men's Longboard Round 3: Cole Robbins def Wenderson Conceicao of Brazil. He's qualified for the 4th round.

Women's Longboard Round 3: Tiare Thompson fell to Mathea Dempfle-Olin. She will face Fernande Peres of Peru in the Repechage.

Tennis:

Men's Singles Third Round: Michael Redlicki fell to Facundo Bagnis of Argentina (4-6, 1-6).

Women's Doubles Quarterfinals: Caroline Dolehide/Usue Arconada def Dana Guzman/Domnique Schaefer of Peru (6-1, 6-1). They're qualified for the Semfinals.

Women's Singles Second Round: Alexa Graham fell to Renata Zarazua of Mexico (6-7, 4-6).

Volleyball:

Men's Team def Mexico (3-0). They're 1-1.

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Brian Burrows  (Shooting): ”Having Rachel as my partner out on the field was easy”

Brian Burrows won the silver medal in the mixed trap team with Rachel Tozier at Poligono Las Palmas on Wednesday.

“We feel good right now. We got it done today with the silver and I had a great teammate. I’ve known Rachel for years. We have been partners all year now, through lots of matches. Having her as my partner out on the field today was easy. There were no trust issues there. She carried me”.

On competing against US teammates Derek Haldeman and Ashely Carroll: “When we are competing for gold and silver, it feels pretty good. It feels amazing knowing that we are going to be raining two flags for gold and silver. Everybody wants to win but I’m glad it is us two at the top. We have known Derek and Ashley for years. We shoot and compete against each other all year, we hang out and go on trips together”

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Jennifer Baumert (Equestrian): “Handsome gets better every day”

Jennifer Baumert finished third in the Individual Dressage - Intermediate I / Grand Prix Freestyle Event on Wednesday, in Lima, Peru!

"We made some mistakes. Handsome, my horse, is very electric. He tends to be calmer in other competitions. It was a different exhibition, which forced me to make some really quick adjustments, but I can’t blame him for having energy."

On her relationship with Handsome: "During these days, I have learned to ride him better. We’ve had a great connection since we’ve been here. He gets better every day, even better than in other events. He likes Peru."

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Ashley Carroll (Shooting): “The month of July has been pretty good for me”

Ashley Carroll won the shooting gold in Mixed Trap Team with Derek Haldeman yesterday in Lima, Peru. A third success this month after her earlier victory at the World Championships and her first gold medal at the Pan Am Games in the Women’s Trap. 

“I am super excited by my performance and getting two gold medals here and also being world champion. The month of July has been pretty good for me. These are my first Pan American Games so I was super excited when I made the team considering the group we have. It has been a great experience traveling to the worlds then coming here” 

Carroll on beating her team-mates to the gold medal: “I don’t think it’s a rivalry as such. It is more like let’s just try and challenge each other a bit more. We’re just happy to share the podium with Team USA."

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Anita Alvarez (Artistic Swimming): “We’re ready to move on from here”

Anita Alvarez and Ruby Remati claimed the overall duet bronze at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games on Wednesday.

Alvarez on how having a bronze medal around her neck makes her feel: "This puts it altogether, a great season. We’re ready to move on from here. It’s a good stepping stone in the beginning of our journey and now we will keep on going”

During the last FINA World Championships in Gwangju, Korea, Tatiana Pokrovskaya (Team Russia Coach) complimented the USA Team: “When you hear some of the countries who have been on top for many many years now saying good things about the US team, it’s like ‘wow’.”

On having four-time Olympic medalist Andrea Fuentes as their coach: “It’s been amazing. For me, I grew up watching her on Youtube and I follow her on social media, so when we heard she was coming I was like 'no way this isn’t real” says Alvarez. “She has a lot of experience kind of being in the same boat as us. Again it gives us hope that anything is possible.”

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Kara Eaker (Artistic Gymnastics): “My mindset made the difference”

Kara Eaker won the gold in the women’s artistic gymnastics beam and the silver in the floor exercise at the Polideportivo Villa El Salvador on Wednesday.

"I am definitely ecstatic about how these Games went. Just being able to compete and to come back with medals, it's great." says Eaker.

On winning gold in beam after falling off the apparatus in the individual all-around: "It felt really good being able to come back after that setback and just compete the way I know how to do it."

On what made the difference in the apparatus final: "Definitely my mindset, just focusing on one skill at a time, not rushing and just staying in the zone."

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DAY  8 - RESULTS!

Artistic Gymnastics:

Kara Eaker finished 1st of the Women's Beam Final.

Riley McCusker finished 3rd of the Women's Beam Final.

Cameron Bock finished 3rd of the Men's Parallel Bars Final.

Brody Malone finished 5th of the Me's Parallel Bars Final.

Kara Eaker finished 2nd of the Women's Floor Excercise Final.

Riley McCusker finished 5th of the Women's Floor Excercise Final.

Genki Suzuki finished 6th of the Men's Horizontal Bar Final

Artistic Swimming:

Anita Alvarez/Ruby Remati finished 3rd of the Women's Duet Final.

Team USA finishd 3rd of the Women's Team Final.

Badminton:

Howard Shu/Paula Obanana def Diego Mini/Danica Nishimura of Peru (20-22, 21-12, 21-16). They're qualified for the Mixed Doubles Semifinals.

Ryan Chew/Philipp Nguyen-Chew def Luis Montaya/Andres Lopez of Mexico (21-16, 21-17). They're qualified for the Men's Doubles Semifinals.

Iris Wang def Daniela Macias of Peru (21-10, 21-12). She's qualified for the Women's Singles Semifinals.

Timothy Lam fell to Ygor Coelho (16-21, 6-21).

Kuei-Ya Chen/Jamie Hsu def Yeily Ortiz/Taymara Oropesa of Cuba (21-16, 21-15). They're qualified for the Women's Doubles Semifinals.

Basketball:

Men's Team def Virgin Islands 119-84. They're 1-0.

Equestrian:

Sarah Lockman finished 1st of the Women's Individual Dressage Final.

Jennifer Baumert finished 3rd of the Women's Individual Dressage Final.

Handball:

Men's Team fell to Argentina (25-38). They're 0-1.

Field Hockey:

Women's Team def Chile (4-2). They're 2-0.

Shooting:

Ashley Carroll/Derek Haldeman finished 1st of the Mixed Trap Team Final.

Rachel Tozier/Brian Burrows finished 2nd of the Mixed Trap Team Final.

Jack Leverett III finished 6th of the Men's 25m Fire Pistol Qualification Stage 1.

Softball:

Men's Team fell to Argentina (0-7). They'll play for the Bronze against Cuba.

Squash:

Women's Team def Canada (2-0) in the Women's Team Final.

Men's Team def Colombia (2-1) in the Men's Team Final.

Tennis:

Usue Arconada def Alexandra Vagramov of Canada (7-5, 6-2). She's qualified for the Women's Singles Quarterfinals.

Kevin King/Michael Redlicki fell to Roberto Quiroz/Gonzalo Escobar of Ecuador (3-6, 0-6).

Alexa Graham/Samuel Riffice fell to Mario Osorio/Santiago Giraldo of Colombia (3-6, 6-3, 3-10).

Caroline Dolehide def Marcela Zacarias of Mexico (6-1, 6-7, 6-1). She's qualified for the Women's Singles Quarterfinals.

Michael Redlicki def Federico Zeballos of Bolivia (6-2, 6-0).  She's qualified for the Men's Singles Third Round.

Volleyball:

Men's Team fell to Chile (1-3). They're 0-1.

📸: Lima 2019.

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DAY 8 - MEDALS! 

Gold:

Sarah Lockman (Women's Dressage Individual)

Kara Eaker (Women's Artistic Gymnastics Beam)

Ashley Carroll/Derek Haldeman (Shooting Mixed Trap Team)

Team USA (Men's Squash Team)

Team USA (Women's Squash Team)

Silver:

Kara Eaker (Women's Artistic Gymnastics Floor)

Rachel Tozier/Brian Burrows (Shooting Mixed Trap Team)

Bronze:

Anita Alvarez/Ruby Rematti (Women's Artistic Swimming Duet)

Team USA (Women's Artistic Swimming Team)

Cameron Bock (Men's Artistic Gymnastics Parralel Bars)

Riley McCusker (Women's Artistic Gymnastics Beam)

Jennifer Baumert (Women's Equestrian Individual Dressage)

📸: Lima 2019.

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Connor Baxter (SUP Surf): “The conditions are excellent”

When you have faced ‘Jaws’ at the tender age of 14, the waters off Lima should hold no fears for stand up paddle surfer Connor Baxter.

Born in Maui, it was inevitable he would feel at home on the waves. Although tackling Jaws – a surfing spot just off the north shore of the Hawaiian island where the waves are higher than 50 feets – still took nerves.

“My dad was a pilot on one of the boats that used to take surfers a few miles out to Peahi and I used to go along with him,” Baxter said.

He became the youngest person to surf the dangerous break: “The waves can be around 50-60 feet. I sort of dipped my toes in the water before tackling it at 14. It was awesome, especially when you have to jump off the cliff with your board as the waves hit.”

Baxter, a multiple world champion and known as the fastest stand up paddle surfer in the world, is relishing the event and trying to live up to his tag as favourite.

“I’ve competed in Peru before and the waves are good. I’ve been out a few times already and the conditions are excellent,” the 24-year-old said.

“This is my sport’s debut at the Pan American Games. It’s a big thing for SUP and I want to make the most of the experience as you never know if I’ll get another chance of a multi-event games. SUP is not part of the Olympics, yet."

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Jence Rhoads (Handball): “My mom has been a huge inspiration for me”

The players were making their way to the dressing room after the bronze medal game in women’s handball when Jence Rhoads paused to allow the past few hectic months of her life to soak in.

"It has been a crazy, difficult and exciting spring and summer for me,’’ Rhoads said after Cuba ended her hopes of a Lima 2019 Pan American Games medal with a thrilling 24-23 victory on Tuesday.

The American spent most of the northern spring with a professional handball team in Spain, while finishing her thesis for a PhD in kinesiology from Auburn University in Alabama. She defended her dissertation three days before the start of training camp for Lima 2019.

Rhoads has been a member of the national women’s team since 2014, carrying on a family tradition from her mother, Melinda, who represented the USA at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games.

“I go out thinking about my mom every time I play. She has been a huge inspiration for me and to follow in her footsteps is an unbelievable opportunity and gift that I have been given” 

The Lima Games were a first for her: “Words cannot describe it. To put on a red, white and blue jersey is something I have dreamed of my whole life. I was not able to do it in basketball and I am very thankful that I did have an opportunity with this great sport that has come into my life."