GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Connor Fields led a 1-2 finish for the United States in men’s BMX cycling Friday at the Pan American Games, and Mariana Pajon of Colombia took gold in the women’s event.
Fields was only third in his group at the start of the event, but came on strong in the final. American teammate Nicholas Long was second and Andres Jimenez of Ecuador was third.
“The track is really good,” Fields said. “A little hard and fast, and to that mix you have to add the really strong competitors like Jimenez, Long, (Carlos) Oquendo, and (Fausto) Endara so the triumph is well deserved.”
In the women’s race, Pajon was first in the group stage and held her lead through the final. American rival Arielle Martin-Verhaaren earned silver and Maria Diaz of Argentina took bronze.
“The idea was to stay calm, trust the track, and perform well,” Pajon said. “It’s a very technical circuit that made us struggle and train hard but in the end, we were able to take control of the situation.”
The U.S. won two more medals in women’s tennis as American citizens swept the podium. Irina Falconi beat Monica Puig of Puerto Rico 6-3, 6-2 in the final, while teammate
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