Canadian Olympic champion Maggie Mac Neil won her third medal of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games after winning the 100-meter freestyle on Monday, another successful day for the United States.

Mac Neil also achieved his second Pan American record at the Aquatic Center in the Chilean capital.

The 23-year-old Canadian clocked 53.64 seconds to beat the mark of 53.83 set by Bahamian Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace at the 2015 Toronto Games.

Winner of the Olympic gold medal two years ago in the 100-meter butterfly, Mac Neil became Pan-American champion in this discipline in Santiago. She also triumphed in the women’s 4×100 freestyle relay and won bronze in the mixed 4×100.

After her victory at the Tokyo Games, Mac Neil decided not to compete in the individual events at the 2022 World Cup in Budapest to take care of her mental health, acknowledging that she felt overwhelmed by the pressure to achieve more success .

“Having a break and being able to come back more quickly is a very good thing,” said Mac Neil, born in China and adopted by Canadians. “I never imagined I would set a 100 freestyle record in an international competition and it was the first time, so I’m super happy.”

After winning four gold medals on each of the first two days, the United States won five gold medals on Monday and its team has 13 of that color in the swimming program so far. Olympic medalists Paige Madden (800 freestyle), Josephine Fuller (100 backstroke), Jacob Foster (200 breaststroke), Adam Chaney (100 backstroke) and the 4×100 medley relay also contributed to the five new titles.

Canadian Sydney Pickrem also emerged victorious in the 200 breaststroke and her country totaled six gold medals. Brazil was one after the triumphs of Guilherme Santos (100 free) and Guilherme Costa (800 free).

Among the continental swimming powers were silver medals from Argentina’s Ulises Saravia, aged just 17 (100 backstroke), and Venezuela’s Alfonso Mestre (800 freestyle); and the bronze of the Mexican Andrés Puente (200 chest).

“I’m not one hundred percent satisfied because the goal is always to win, but I’m happy with the experience. I was able to last a long time with the Brazilian (Costa). I held on and that’s the goal of this competition. “I’m focused on giving my best,” Mestre commented after his second Pan American medal. On Saturday, he also lost the duel for gold with Costa in the final of the men’s 400 meters freestyle.

With President Gabriel Boric cheering from the stands, veteran Chilean swimmer Kristel Köbrich placed fourth in the women’s 800 freestyle final.

Köbrich, 38, is the benchmark of Chilean swimming with a collection of five medals at the Pan American Games, including gold at Guadalajara 2011.

“There are a lot of expectations, a lot of anxiety,” Köbrich said. “I understand that I generated it because of the history of swimming in Chile, with my team, I respect that, I accept it, I embrace it. What is happening to us is very pleasant, as a “As a team and as a country, this opens doors for us, and that makes me very happy.

He will have a second chance at long-distance races in Santiago by participating in the 1,500 freestyle next Wednesday.