Brazil's 4x200m freestyle relay swimmers Rodrigo Castro (left) and Lucas Salatta begin celebrating as they take the lead for good during the relay final of the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro yesterday. - AP

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP):

SWIMMER THIAGO Pereira earned two gold medals at the Pan American Games yesterday, winning the men's 400m medley then helping Brazil to victory in the 4x200 freestyle relay.

Pereira broke his own South American record by .77 to win the 400 medley in four minutes, 11.14 seconds, easily beating American Robert Margalis (4:17.52) and Canada's Keith Beavers (4:19.01) at the packed Maria Lenk aquatic complex.

Pereira joined Brazilian teammates Rodrigo Castro, Lucas Salatta and Nicolas Oliveira to win the 4x200 free relay in 7:12.27, breaking the Pan Am record. The U.S. were second, nearly three seconds behind, with Canada third.

"It was a good start," Pereira said. "Two gold medals in the first day was great, now I have to keep it up the rest of the week."

Brazil's top swimmer, Pereira entered the Pan Ams with medal chances in seven events. He is ranked fourth in the world in the 200 medley, and won a silver and a bronze at the 2003 Pan Ams in Santo Domingo.

In the women's 400 medley, Kathleen Hersey of the U.S. won in 4:44.08, defeating countrywoman Teresa Crippen (4:46.18) and Argentina's Georgina Bardach (4:47.46).

The U.S. remain comfortably ahead in the medal count with 19 gold, 20 silver and nine bronze.

Cuba were second with seven golds, and Brazil, Canada, Colombia and Mexico had five each, with an edge for Brazil because they had more overall medals - 24.