Emily Santos Advances to the 200m Breaststroke Final at the Junior Pan American Games – Panama Wins Appeal

Panamanian swimmer Emily Santos had a tough Tuesday morning when she was disqualified in the 200-meter breaststroke, but the Panamanian Olympic Committee (COP) later appealed and won the case.  Thus, the Panamanian swimmer won the preliminary event of the 200-meter breaststroke at the 2025 Junior Pan American Games, held in Asunción, Paraguay.  In the 200-meter breaststroke event in her qualifying heat, Emily Santos clocked a time of 2:30.08, which is a record for the Junior Pan American Games.  The previous record for the 200m breaststroke at the Junior Pan American Games was 2:30:17.  According to a statement from the Panamanian Olympic Committee (COP), the incident was detailed in a statement. 

“The judge argues that in the movement of the athlete Emily Santos she gives ‘more than one butterfly kick at the start’ however, a simple observation of the existing video of the race clearly and equivocally leaves in irrefutable evidence that the athlete at no time gives more than one kick, had that been the case, she would have started much further ahead and as observed she does not start first in the submersible, but rather she starts fourth as observed in the video”, describes the COP note.  In a second note, the COP also reports that “after an appeal, it is confirmed that Emily Santos will compete in the final of the 200-meter breaststroke (Aquatics – Swimming) after completing her qualifying series with a time of 2:30.08 minutes, also setting a new record for the Junior Pan American Games.”  The 200m breaststroke final will take place this Tuesday at 4:16 pm.  Emily Santos gave Panama its first gold medal in the 100-meter race.