by Desmond G. Palmer, posted on 10/28/2011
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Ridley Ingram photo
Alexis Copello: gold in triple jump.
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Oct. 28: Cuba continued its march on the 16th Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico yesterday, picking up a flurry of medals to lead the medal standings with 11 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze ahead of Brazil, 7-3-6 and USA 3-4-3.
By the end of activities yesterday, the Cubans had added five more gold to their tally. Alexis Copello won the men’s triple jump with 17.21m while his countryman, Yoandris Betanzos, took the silver with 16.54m. Misleydis Gonzales won the women’s shot put with 18.57m ahead of Trinidad’s Cleopatra Borel, who threw a personel best 18.46. Adriana Monuz won the women’s 1500m in 4:26.09; Omar Cisneros, the men’s 400m hurdles in 47.99 ahead of Jamaica’s Isa Phillips (48.82) and the Dominican Republic’s Felix Sanchez (48.85); and Roberto Skyers, 19, got home first in the men’s 200m in 20.37, ahead of Jamaica’s Lansford Spence (20.38), an early favorite.
Sanchez's Record Gone
Cisneros’ hurdles time is a new Cuban and Pan American Games record. The previous Games record of 48.19 was set by Dominican Republic’s Felix Sanchez in 2003.
Cuba also picked up silver and bronze in the women’s javelin and bronze in the men’s high jump won by Bahamas’ 2007 World champion Donald Thomas with 2.32m. Jamaica’s Simone Facey copped silver in the women’s 200m in 22.86 with Dominican Republic’s Marieley Sanchez behind her in 23.02.
Misfortune struck Jamaica in the men’s sprint relay when the squad of Jermaine Hamilton, Jason Livermore, Hannukkah Wallace and Oshane Bailey won the race but was disqualified for exchanging outside the box at the second exchange.
Twelve finals are set for today, the last day of athletics at the Telmex Stadium, and Cuba is expected to deliver the final blows with Olympic and Pan American champion Dayron Robles in the men’s 110m hurdles (13.22 in the semifinal) and two-time World and Pan-Am defending champion Yargelis Savigne in the women’s triple jump.
Other Cubans expected to shine are Yarelis Barrios in the women’s discus, Guillermo Martinez in the men’s javelin and Daegu runner-up Lazaro Borges in the men’s pole vault.
The day will end with the finals of the sprint and mile relays. |
Filed Under: Championships