July 21, 2007

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Chip Peterson, a sophomore at the University of North Carolina from Pine Knoll Shores, N.C., won the gold medal Saturday and set a Pan American Games record in the 1500-meter freestyle swmming competition at the XV Pan American Games in Rio deJaneiro, Brazil. Team USA took home a total of five medals Saturday, increasing its overall total at the pool to 30 medals. It was Peterson's second medal of the meet. He won a silver medal last Saturday in the 10-kilometer marathon open water swimming event.

In the men's 1500m free, Peterson led the field throughout most of the race to win his first gold of the Games and set a Pan Am Games record in 15:12.33. Peterson was the silver medalist in the Pan American Games' 10k open water event held one week ago at Copacabana Beach. Ricardo Monasterio of Venezuela finished in 15:23.28 to win the 1500m free silver and Canada's Kier Maitland swam a 15:25.28 for bronze. USA's Robert Margalis (St. Petersburg, Fla.) was fourth in 15:34.49.