Pan American Games: Day 1 and 2 Flash Recap

Pan American Games: Day 1 and 2 Flash Recap

Jul 23, 2015 by Karsten Kaufmann
Pan American Games: Day 1 and 2 Flash Recap


After the first two days of competition on the track, we’ve already seen some great racing in Toronto. Take a look at some of the top moments from the 2015 Pan American Games.

Canada’s Mo Ahmed sat patiently until the final lap to break away from USA’s Aron Rono and Juan Luis Barrios of Mexico, taking the win in front of the home crowd. Ahmed finished in a time of 28:49.96, less than a second in front of Rono at 28:50.83.
Canadians Matt Hughes and Alex Genest put on a clinic in the 3K steeplechase, finishing 1-2 in front of the Americans Cory Leslie and Donnie Cowart. Hughes and Genest finished in times of 8:32.18, and 8:33.83. Leslie finished in a time of 8:36.83, while Cowart brought it home in 8:49.00 for fourth.

The new mothers Alysia Montano and Jillian Camerena-Williams, (who both have children less than a year old) found themselves on the podiums in their respective events. Montano ran a 1:59.76 for second place in the 800m, less than a second off her seasonal best of 1:59.15, the time that crowned her victorious at the USA Championships. Canada’s Melissa Bishop took the win in 1:59.62.

Like Montano, shot-putter Jillian Camerena-Williams, was also pregnant a year ago. She finished second place in her event with a mark of 18.65, just two centimeters off winner Cleopatra Borel of Trinidad and Tobago. Williams won back to back junior titles in the shot put at Pan-Ams in 1999 and 2001.

NCAA 100/200 champion Andre DeGrasse of Canada won his first Pan American title in the 100m with wind-legal time of 10.05. His margin of victory was closer than expected, as Ramon Gittens of Barbados finished just two hundredths of a second behind him in 10.07.