Brazil powered to the top of the Pan American Games medal table Tuesday after winning six of the 13 swimming gold medals and seven of the 20 athletics gongs.

MEDAL TABLE

Brazil topped the medal table four years ago in Rio de Janeiro and are favorites to repeat that success in Guadalajara.

Mexico's athletes, however, look set for their best-ever showing at a Parapan Games, ending the third day of competition with 61 medals (16 golds, 27 silvers and 18 bronzes) – 19 behind Brazil's tally of 80 (32 golds, 24 silvers and 24 bronzes).

The highlight of day four for Mexico was the performance of shot putter Maria de los Angeles Ortiz, who lit the cauldron in the opening ceremony. She electrified a packed Telmex Athletics Stadium with a new shot put world record of 11.24 meters in her 57-58 category.

Ortiz was at the center of a polemic justice case in Veracruz in 2004. A promising athlete, she lost her leg after being slammed against a wall by an out of control car driven by the drunk son of the assistant district attorney.  In the end, Ortiz was persuaded to accept an out-of-court settlement of 32,000 pesos and the driver never spent time in jail.

The United States won two track and field golds on Tuesday, while Canada picked up golds in cycling (two) and in table tennis.

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