Chantal Van Landeghem upsets U.S. swim star Natalie Coughlin twice
Winnipegger beats 12-time Olympic medallist in 100m free, relay
Winnipeg's Chantal Van Landeghem gave Canada a surprising and fantastic start to the Pan Am Games swimming competition on Tuesday night, twice beating American star Natalie Coughlin to win a pair of gold medals.
Van Landeghem's stellar night began with the 100-metre freestyle final, where her time of 53.83 seconds broke the Pan Am Games record set by Coughlin — a 12-time Olympic medallist and 20-time world championship medallist — earlier in the day in the heats.
UPSET!!! Chantal Van Landeghem wins gold medal for Canada!!! Pan Am Games record. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbcpanam?src=hash">#cbcpanam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/to2015?src=hash">#to2015</a>
—@sportsnagThe 6-foot-3 Van Landeghem, 21, opened the race trailing the Bahamas' Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace and Coughlin, but made a late charge to take home the first swimming gold awarded at these Games.
"I think the crowd got me into it," Van Landeghem said. "I kept saying thank you when I got out of the water because they were amazing. They really pushed me the last 15 metres.
"It's nothing like I've ever experienced just because it was on home soil in Canada. Seeing that flag raised, I was just overcome with so much pride."
Vanderpool-Wallace took the bronze while Canadian Michelle Williams finished fourth.
CAN Van Landeghem upsets the field, wins gold and sets a Pan Am record in the 100m Women's Freestyle <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBCPanAm?src=hash">#CBCPanAm</a> <a href="http://t.co/u3zI6fyQsU">http://t.co/u3zI6fyQsU</a>
—@cbcsportsVan Landeghem bests Coughlin again in relay
It turned out Van Landeghem was just getting started.
She got the better of Coughlin again later in the night when the two went head-to-head as the anchors in the 4x100m freestyle relay. Coughlin was leading at the turn, but Van Landeghem surpassed her over the final length of the pool to win the gold medal for Canada.
The U.S. got the silver medal, while Brazil took the bronze.
"My confidence is sky-high right now," Van Landeghem said. "I've don't think it's ever been this high.
"Beating Natalie is obviously huge, but personally, a best time, that's all I could ask for. We're going into worlds in a couple weeks after this. To have these performances going into worlds is a huge confidence booster."
Williams, Sandrine Mainvill, and Katerine Savard were the three other members of Canada's relay squad.
"I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime night," Williams said.
Canada sets another Pan Am record, wins gold in women's 4x100 freestyle, upsetting Coughlin and the USA <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBCPanAm?src=hash">#CBCPanAm</a> <a href="http://t.co/eVcEIIsGeV">http://t.co/eVcEIIsGeV</a>
—@cbcsportsLacroix wins gold
Veteran Audrey Lacroix grabbed a gold medal of her own, winning the women's 200m butterfly.
The 31-year-old Montreal native beat out U.S. swimmer Katherine Mills and Brazil's Joanna Maranhao, who won silver and bronze, respectively.
"I heard the crowd during the second 50 [metres], but by the end of the race I couldn't hear that much," Lacroix said. "I was in my own world praying the wall would come."
Lacroix won four medals at the 2003 Pan American Games, and is the owner of five Commonwealth Games medals.
"This one is special is because it's at home. It helped my confidence a lot to win last year when I won at Commonwealth Games, but a win tonight in my own pool in Canada was really special and that's what I wanted to experience."
- Lacroix takes Canadian teammates under her wing
- RESULTS: Women's 200m butterfly
- VIDEO: Lacroix's sensational swim
- VIDEO: Lacroix receives 2nd Pan Am gold, 12 years after first
Canadian Audrey Lacroix wins gold in the women's 200m butterfly <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBCPanAm?src=hash">#CBCPanAm</a> <a href="http://t.co/vFv7UAn1k7">http://t.co/vFv7UAn1k7</a>
—@cbcsportsMen's relay team makes podium
The Canadian men's 4x100m freestyle relay team took the silver in its race.
Canada's team was comprised of Santo Condorelli, Karl Krug, Yuri Kisil, and Evan Van Moerkerke.
Brazil won the gold medal for the fifth straight Pan Am Games, while the U.S. took bronze.
Canadian men win silver in the 4x100m freestyle, their sixth medal of the night in swimming <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBCPanAm?src=hash">#CBCPanAm</a> <a href="http://t.co/B2ZmqDgrZz">http://t.co/B2ZmqDgrZz</a>
—@cbcsportsCondorelli adds silver
Santo Condorelli contributed to Canada's hot start not only with the relay win, but by winning a silver medal in the men's 100m freestyle.
Argentina's Federico Grabich won gold while Brazil's Marcelo Chierghini took the bronze.
Kisil finished sixth.
Canadian Santo Condorelli wins silver in the Men's 100m Freestyle <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBCPanAm?src=hash">#CBCPanAm</a> <a href="http://t.co/JW1Gb0JQhE">http://t.co/JW1Gb0JQhE</a>
—@cbcsportsChetrat takes bronze
The medals kept on coming for Canada as Zack Chetrat took the bronze medal in the men's 200m butterfly.
The 24-year-old from Oakville, Ont., just outside Toronto, posted a time of 1:56.90, edging out teammate Alec Page, who finished fourth.
Brazil's Leonardo De Deus won the gold medal while Peru's Mauricio Fiol got the silver.
CAN Zack Chetrat, #7 going into the finals, wins bronze in the men's 200m butterfly <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBCPanAm?src=hash">#CBCPanAm</a> <a href="http://t.co/aFFIJB2Z8b">http://t.co/aFFIJB2Z8b</a>
—@cbcsportsWith Files from The Canadian Press
With Files from The Canadian Press