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Four U.S. team members earn gold medals in respective events

POLK CITY, Fla. – Five U.S. Team members combined to win a tournament-high nine medals in respective events at the inaugural Pan American Olympic Festival, July 17-20, in Morelos, Mexico. The U.S. Team finished with five gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal during the four-day competition.

The Pan American Olympic Festival was a first-year water ski and wakeboard event hosted by the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO). Events included men’s and women’s slalom, tricks, jumping and overall, as well as men’s and women’s wakeboarding.

Members of the U.S. team were: Andrew Adkison (Chipley, Fla.), men’s wakeboarding; Makayla Haw (Rio Linda, Calif.), women’s slalom, tricks, jumping and overall; Erika Lang (Gilbert, Ariz.), women’s slalom, tricks, jumping and overall; Raimi Merritt (Orlando, Fla.), women’s wakeboarding; and Nate Smith (McCordsville, Ind.), men’s slalom. Lori Krueger (Martindale, Texas) served as the team leader.

Lang won gold medals in women’s tricks and overall, and earned the silver medal in women’s slalom; Haw won the gold medal in women’s slalom, and earned silver medals in women’s jumping and overall; Smith won the gold medal in men’s slalom; Adkison won the gold medal in men’s wakeboarding; and Merritt earned the bronze medal in women’s wakeboarding.

Lang won the gold medal in women’s overall, tallying 2,445.94 points after scoring 3 buoys at 35 feet off in slalom, 9,300 points in tricks, and 121 feet in jumping. Haw earned the silver medal, tallying 2,276.61 points (3 buoys at 38 feet off/3,570 points/149 feet), and Canada’s Taryn Grant earned the bronze medal, scoring 2,117.20 points (3-1/2 buoys at 35 feet off/2,640 points/160 feet). In men’s overall, Chile’s Santiago Varas won the gold medal, scoring 2,371.02 points. Mexico’s Alejandro Lamadrid (2,196.19 points) and Andres Torres (2,195.45 points) earned the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

Lang won the gold medal in women’s tricks, scoring 9,300 points. Colombia’s Maria Camila Linares earned the silver medal, scoring 7,160 points, and Mexico’s Carolina Chapoy earned the bronze medal, scoring 4,730 points. In men’s tricks, Canada’s Jason McClintock won the gold medal with 10,040 points, while Mexico’s Andres Torres (8,270 points) and Rodrigo Chapoy (6,500 points) earned the silver medal and bronze medal, respectively.

Smith won the gold medal in men’s slalom, scoring 3 buoys at 41 feet off. Mexico’s Alvaro Lamadrid earned the silver medal (4 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off), and Canada’s Steven Neveu earned the bronze medal (2 buoys at 39-1/2 feet off). Haw won the gold medal in women’s slalom, scoring 3 buoys at 38 feet off. Lang earned the silver medal (2 buoys at 38 feet off) and Canada’s Taryn Grant earned the bronze medal (1 buoy at 38 feet off).

Chile’s Santiago Varas won the gold medal in men’s jumping (188 feet). Chile’s Emile Ritter (175 feet) and Colombia’s Santiago Correa (170 feet) earned the silver medal and bronze medal, respectively. Canada’s Taryn Grant won the women’s jumping gold medal (153 feet). Haw earned the silver medal (149 feet), and Mexico’s Carolina Chapoy earned the bronze medal (122 feet).

Adkison won the gold medal in men’s wakeboarding, scoring 84.67 points. Venezuala’s Juan Vicente Mendez earned the silver medal (82.78 points) and Canada’s Christian Primose earned the bronze medal (80.22 points). Merritt earned the bronze medal in women’s wakeboarding, scoring 73.11 points in the finals. Mexico’s Larisa Morales won the gold medal (80.67 points), and Canada’s Erika Langman earned the silver medal (74.22 points).

For complete results, visit www.USAWATERSKI.org.

USA Water Ski was formed in 1939 as a non-profit organization promoting water skiing in the United States. USA Water Ski is affiliated with the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (world governing body) and is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and Pan-American Sports Organization as the national governing body of organized water skiing and wakeboarding in the United States. With more than 20,000 members, USA Water Ski is the largest water ski federation in the world.

For more information check out: www.USAWATERSKI.org