Archive photo of Zhier Fan.

The U.S. grabbed seven more medals on the final night of the 2021 FINA Swimming World Cup in Berlin, highlighted by a world junior record in the final event of the meet. The U.S. finished with the most medals of them short-course-meter meet at 19 – five gold, eight silver and six bronze. Germany and Australia tied for the most gold medals with six apiece. 

The American quartet of Quintin McCarty (Pikes Peak Athletics), Zhier Fan (Metroplex Aquatics), Tess Howley (Long Island Aquatic Club) and Kristina Paegle (Indiana Swim Club) combined efforts to post a 1:41.55 in the mixed 4x50-meter medley relay to close out the meet, under the previous standard of 1:41.91 set by the U.S. back in 2017. The Americans finished second in the event behind Germany’s 1:39.17. 

Sixteen-year-old Cavan Gormsen (Long Island Aquatic Club) picked up Team USA’s first gold medal of the evening with an 8:22.16 in the women’s 800m freestyle. She topped teammate Paige Kuwata (Sandpipers of Nevada), who took silver in 8:27.43 ahead of The Netherlands’ Imani De Jong (8:28.90). 

Tom Shields (California Aquatics), who already won the 100m butterfly on night one and finished second in the 200m butterfly on night two, added a second gold and third medal overall in the 50m butterfly with a 22.09. He just out-touched Hungary’s Szebasztian Szabo (22.19) and South Africa’s Chad Le Clos (22.48).  

JoJo Ramey (Fishers Area Swimming Tigers) picked up a silver medal in the women’s 200m backstroke with a time of 2:04.41, sandwiched in between Olympians Kira Toussaint (NED) and Kylie Masse (CAN). Ramey's teammate Kennedy Noble (YMCA Westside Silver Fins) finished fifth in the event in 2:05.81. 

Olympic gold medalist Lydia Jacoby (Seward Tsunami Swim Team), who won bronze in the 100m breast earlier in the meet, added a silver in the 50m breast with a 30.04, just behind Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko (29.61). Jacoby’s teammate, 17-year-old Zoe Skirboll of Racer X Aquatics, placed seventh in the final in 30.94. 

Fifteen-year-old Leah Hayes (Fox Valley Park District Riptides) continued her impressive meet with a silver medal-winning effort in the women’s 200m IM. She posted a 2:09.61 to finish behind 32-year-old Maria Ugolkova of Switzerland (2:08.01). TAC Titans’ Charlotte Hook also swam in the final, finishing eighth in 2:12.68. 

Other American finalists on Sunday were:
• Claire Tuggle (Santa Maria Swim Club), 6th women’s 800m freestyle, 8:36.09 
• Josh Parent (Bluefish Swim Club), 5th men’s 400m IM, 4:16.99
• Spencer Aurnou-Rhees (New Albany Aquatic Club), 6th men’s 400m IM, 4:17.43 
• Linnea Mack (Team Elite), 4th women’s 100m butterfly, 57.16 
• Daniel Diehl (unattached), 4th men’s 100m backstroke, 51.67
• Quintin McCarty (Pikes Peak Athletics), 6th men’s 100m backstroke, 52.51
• Zhier Fan (Metroplex Aquatics), 4th men’s 200m breaststroke, 2:06.06
• Linnea Mack (Team Elite), 4th women’s 100m freestyle, 52.21
• Blake Pieroni (Sandpipers of Nevada), 4th men’s 200m freestyle, 1:42.87