Brazil holds on to 3rd place in Pan American Games

With new medals won this weekend (July 18-19), Brazil widened its second runner-up edge in Toronto Pan American Games medal chart, with 30 gold, 28 silver, and 41 bronze medals. Fourth-ranking Colombia had 24 gold medals. The United States lead with 59 gold medals, and Canada comes next with 53.

Among Brazil's highlights was swimmer Thiago Pereira, who became the top Pan-American medalist on Saturday (18), with a total 23 medals earned in four editions of the Games. With a silver on men's 200m individual medley and gold on men's 4 x 100m medley relay, Thiago broke the 22-medal record set by former Cuban gymnast Erick López.

Pereira arrived in Toronto with 18 medals earned at Santo Domingo 2003, Rio 2007, and Guadalajara 2011, and topped his count with another five medals in Toronto. In addition to the latest medals on Saturday, Pereira won gold on the 4 x 100m and 4 x 200m freestyle relays, and bronze on 200m backstroke on Tuesday (14) and Wednesday (15).

Speaking to reporters, Thiago had said that if he hit the medal count record, that would not be his personal achievement, but Brazil's. “[That would mean] a Brazilian athlete achieving this, and our country setting a record after all. It's an important achievement for all of us as the next Olympics host nation,” he said.

In addition to the medals won at swimming this weekend, Brazil won other gold medals with Yane Marques on women's modern pentathlon. A bronze medalist in the London Olympics in 2012, she exulted at the recent achievement. “It was a thrilling final. I got two shots wrong at the second round, but eventually made it,” the athlete said.

There was even more gold in store for Brazil on Saturday with group rhythmic gymnastics, silver with Adriana Silva on women's marathon, and a further two sailing medals – silver with Robert Scheidt on men's Laser, and bronze with Fernanda Decnop on women's Laser Radial.

*Marcelo Brandão reports from Agência Brasil with additional reporting by Iara Falcão, correspondent for Agência Brasil/EBC

Translated by Mayra Borges