PAN AMERICAN GAMES ROUNDUP : U.S. Team Finds Medal Strength in Numbers

Even while the head of the Pan Am organizing committee was questioning the large number of athletes sent by the United States, Americans kept on dominating the medals race.

Dean Panaro, aware that the one-meter diving event he won Wednesday will not be contested at the Olympics, won his first international event and the Americans’ first diving gold in three tries. U.S swimmers won four of five races, giving them 14 golds in 20 events.

The shooting team contributed five golds and 10 medals.

“It’s craziness,” said Mario Vasquez Rana, president of the Pan American Sports Organization, of the U.S. delegation of 1,200 athletes. “I don’t know why they brought so many. It was a mistake. It’s not even good for them.”

The United States has a huge lead in medals, which the swimmers added to with the four golds, a silver and three bronzes. Through Wednesday, the Americans had 128 medals, including 50 gold, followed by Cuba with 79 (38 gold), and Argentina with 53 and 10.

Josh Davis of San Antonio won the 400-meter freestyle and swam a leg on the victorious 400 freestyle relay that set a Pan Am record. Seth van Neerden of Wilmington, Del., won his second individual gold by winning the 200 breaststroke and set his sights on a near-certain third gold in the 400 medley relay.

In women’s competition, Amy Van Dyken, one of three swimming gold medalists from the U.S. Olympic teams resident training center in Colorado Springs, Colo., won the 100 butterfly to go with her gold in the 400 freestyle relay and silver in the 100 freestyle. Angie Wester-Krieg, 30, of Campbell, Calif., won the bronze in the butterfly behind Brazil’s Gabrielle Franco.

In men’s gymnastics, John Roethlisberger of Afton, Minn., won the men’s high bar, with Bill Roth of Philadelphia second. Roethlisberger also took a silver in rings, Roth got one in floor exercise and Mihai Bagiu of Albuquerque won one on pommel horse.

Cuba’s Erick Lopez, the all-around winner Monday, and countryman Damian Merino won two gymnastics golds.

In softball, Sheila Cornell of Burbank had two triples and single as the U.S. women routed Netherlands Antilles, 11-0. While the American men lost in straight sets to Argentina, the U.S. women kept their record perfect in volleyball with a 15-3, 15-1, 15-4 rout of Peru. They will play tournament co-favorite Cuba next.