Brazil's Adriana da Silva won a gruelling women's marathon under a scorching Sunday afternoon sun, clocking a new Pan American record of 2:36:37.  Meanwhile, U.S. athletes continued to excell, collecting seven gold medals on Saturday and nine on Sunday.

With a virtually brand new team of rookies, the United States easily defeated Canada to win the softball title on day nine of the 16th Pan American Games.  Team USA's tally of golds increased over the weekend to 57.

At the softball park, the United States beat Canada 11-1 in four innings, while Cuba took the bronze medal. This was the United States' 87th victory in Pan American softball games. They have lost only three times and not since 1989.

The water ski competition beside Lake Chapala was a rich hunting ground for the United States, with six of the nine gold medals going to U.S. skiers.  Regina Jaquess won two golds, while the others went to Jonathan Travers, Andrew Adkison and Freddy Krueger.  Argentina's Javier Julio won two golds and Whitney McClintock won the only gold among Canada's seven overall medals.

Over the weekend U.S. equestrians triumphed in the team event and teamcross country competitions, while there were also golds for freestyle wrestlers Jake Herbert and Tervel Dlagnev, Sarah Haskins in the women's triathlon and archer Ellison Brady in the men's individual contest.

Saturday also saw victories for U.S. shooters Vincent Hancock in the men's skeet final and Emil Milev in the men's 25 meters rapid fire pistol final.  The U.S. yet again showed its regional dominance, winning 10 of the 15 shooting golds up for grabs.

Mexico failed to win gold on Sunday but Paola Longoria won the women's singles racquetball title on Saturday, along with another gold in the doubles with Samantha Salas. Alejandra Valencia beat Jiranda Leek of the United States to take the women's individual archery crown, but local hero Rene Serrano, who finished fourth in Beijing 2008 and carried the Mexican flag in the opening ceremony, finished disappointingly outside the medals.

Surprisingly, the heat took its toll on Mexican competitors during the weekend's road events marking the start of the athletics competition. Eder Sánchez fainted after the end of the 20-kilometer walk, and Madaí Pérez needed assitance after winning the silver medal in the women's marathon, won by Brazil's Adriana da Silva, who overtook the flagging Mexican with three kilometers of the race remaining.

For Canada, Jessica Pheonix won the equestrian eventing individual title and Richard Weinberger took gold in the men's 10-kilometer open water swimming event in Puerto Vallarta.