USA tops 19th PanAmerican Games rowing medal table

The 19th PanAmerican Games regatta took place from 21-25 October 2023, in Concepion, Chile. Both the USA and Chile came away from the five days of racing with 10 medals – 5 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze for the USA, 3 gold, 5 silver, and 2 bronze for Chile.

Paraguay earned its first ever PanAmerican Games rowing medals, both earned by Nicole Martinez – one in the women’s single sculls, the other with partner Alejandra Alonso in the women’s pair.

World Rowing president Jean-Christophe Rolland, on site for the event, stated, “it has been a privilege to be here with such great organization, and fantastic and enjoyable racing”.

Women’s Pair

It was a cold morning in Concepcion, that started with an incredible first A-Final in the women’s pair. It was hard to predict the podium, but it was the incredible dominance from the USA that managed to counter every attack from Canada and Paraguay, who had initially led the field. Brazil found a storming pace at the end but it was not enough to take away the bronze and the first medal ever in rowing at the PanAmerican Games for Paraguay.

Result: USA, CAN, PAR

Men’s Pair

The second round of medals was a very intense race between the USA and the strong squad from Uruguay in the men’s pair. It was the Uruguayans who crossed the 1500 meters with clear water, but a final sprint from the Americans that surged with a bit extra of power left the silver for Uruguay and bronze for Mexico, who also struggled to hold back the Chileans.

Result: USA, URU, MEX

Men’s Quadruple Sculls

In the men’s quadruple sculls, Cuba was one of the teams that had their name in the medals, but Uruguay had some surprises in the works by asking a very experienced rower Leandro Salvagno to come back from a slight retirement to stroke the quad with the same class and magnificent rhythm he found 20 years ago at the PanAm Games in 2003 in Santo Domingo – when he won the first ever medal in the quad for Uruguay. Five Games later, the same magic worked to bring gold for Uruguay, silver for Chile and bronze for Mexico who managed to cross the line ahead of the USA with a small margin of 3 tenths of a second.

Cuba had an upsetting equipment breakage early in the race and lost all chances.

Result: URU, CHI, MEX

Women’s Quadruple Sculls

The women’s quadruple sculls was certainly also full of excitement. With local heroes Antonia and Melita Abraham stroking the boat, they did all they could, but the Americans were not ready to concede victory and won their third gold of the morning just 7 tenths of a second ahead of Chile and leaving third for Canada.

Result: USA, CHI, CAN

Men’s Eight

Cubans are famous for comebacks and certainly the quad left some energy in the tanks for their second A-Final of the day. The men’s eight from Cuba took the victory ahead of a fierce team from Uruguay and Chile who took third.

Result: CUB, URU, CHI

Women’s Eight

Another first-ever race at the PanAmerican Games was the inclusion of the women’s eight, who can now see their names written in history and will have Canada winning the gold, then the USA and Chile in third. Canada was coxed by Tokyo 202 Olympic Champion Kristen Kit.

Result: CAN, USA, CHI

Women’s Single Sculls

The women’s single sculls saw the Mexican Kenia Lechuga as the strong favourite, and she proved in the A-Final. Lechuga stormed ahead from the beginning and crossed the line ahead of the Brazilian and three seconds ahead of the Paraguayan Nicole Martinez, who takes home the second medal in rowing history for her country.

Result: MEX, BRA, PAR

Men’s Single Sculls

Lucas Verthein from Brazil was the winner of the men’s single sculls, proving that he has improved enormously from his Tokyo 2020 Olympic participation. James Plihal from the USA came in second and Juan Flores from Mexico collected the bronze, the top three finishing within a 2 seconds margin.

Result: BRA, USA, MEX

Women’s Four

The women’s four always brings plenty of excitement and this time that was the story for the contenders behind the Chileans who won comfortably. The next three boats crossed the finish line within one second having the USA and Mexico with silver and bronze respectively.

Result: CHI, USA, MEX

Men’s Four

In the men’s four, Chile matched the women’s success winning gold but with a closer battle; the strong crew from Cuba that emptied their tanks, but had to settle for the silver, and just half a second behind them was Uruguay taking the bronze.

Result: CHI, CUB, URU

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls

In the lightweight Men’s double sculls, it was hard to overlook the Mexican double for the gold, as they had just recently qualified for Paris 2024 Olympics with Alexis Lopez and Miguel Carballo.
The Mexican crew did just enough to hold the Chileans in second and the Argentinians in third. This was the first medal collected in the Regatta for Argentina.

Result: MEX, CHI, ARG

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls

Chile had the commitment to please their fans in every race and this was no different in the Lightweight Women’s double, as they won gold. The stands roared as Chile crossed the line, with a margin of almost 3 seconds ahead of the USA and Argentina who took home their second medal, also a bronze.

Result: CHI, USA, ARG

Men’s Double Sculls

Uruguay came to the PanAmerican Games with some not so secret weapons in the men’s double sculls – Newton Seawright and Martin Zocalo competed at the Under 23 Championships earlier this year in this boat class, missing the bronze by a whisker. They held true to their plan to come to Chile and being a strong gold contender in the Men’s double. Cuba came away with silver, and the USA with bronze.

Result: URU, CUB, USA

Women’s Double Sculls

Host nation Chile put forth many interesting combinations in several boats at this regatta, including the double in which they trusted the Abraham sisters, Melita and Antonia, to prove they could also do well in another boat that was not the one they recently qualified for Paris 2024, the pair.
After a fierce battle for first place it was the USA who took gold, Chile had to settle for silver and Canada took bronze.

Result: USA, CHI, CAN

Mixed Eight

These PanAmerican Games mark the first time the Mixed Eights have been contested, a first for World and Continental Championships.

The Mixed Eight staged for the last event of the PanAmerican Games was unquestionably the most awaited race for the hundreds of spectators that gathered around the Laguna Grande de San Pedro de la Paz to witness how the A-Final developed with a 6 lanes race, interestingly lead by 3 boats being stroked by men and 3 by women, being the 2 first places awarded to the USA and Chile who chose women on the stroke seat and both also had women in the coxswain’s seats and Cuba picked up the bronze just behind the local eight that had the four Abraham quadruplets and two Hostetter sisters in the boat.

Result: USA, CHI, CUB