UC Irvine’s Pajer Wins Breaststroke Gold

Brian Pajer of UC Irvine won the United States’ first gold medal of the 16th World University Games at Sheffield, England, edging China’s Jianhong Chen in the 100-meter breaststroke Monday.

Pajer was timed in 1 minute 3.21 seconds. Leif Engstrom-Heg of Las Vegas won the bronze medal.

The U.S. women’s 800-freestyle relay team finished a close second to the Soviet Union.

China’s Lin Li, the world champion in the 400-individual medley, won that event by nearly 10 seconds in 4:42.58, a Games record. The record was 4:42.95, by Naomi Lung of Romania in 1987.

The Soviets won the first gymnastics gold, but not without a challenge from the Japanese. The American men finished fourth.