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 News from Around the Americas | July 2007 
Mexican, Cuban Set New Records in Athletics at Pan American Games
 Associated Press
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| | Mexico's Jose David Galvan, center, reacts after winning the men's 10,000 meters during the Pan American Games track and field competition in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, July 27, 2007. Brazil's Marilson Santos, left, took the silver medal and Mexico's Alejandro Suarez behind at right, took the bronze in the event. (AP/Gregory Bull) |
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil - Mexico's Jose David Galvan overtook Brazilian Marilson Santos in the home stretch to win the 10,000 meters in record time at the Pan American Games on Friday.
Galvan won in 28 minutes, 8.74 seconds, breaking a 20-year-old Pan Ams record by 11.63 seconds in ideal cool, overcast weather.
Galvan, Marilson and Mexican Alejandro Suarez ran 1-2-3 around Joao Havelange Stadium, lap after lap, with each runner taking the lead until Galvan's final kick proved too much for Santos, who finished in 28:09.30.
«Without my partner (Suarez) I wouldn't get to the finishing line,» Galvan said. «It's been a fast and tough event. I found a way of not getting desperate and ran faster in the last moment.
The previous record of 28:20.37 was set by American Bruce Bickford at the 1987 games in Indianapolis.
Canada's Adam Kunkel pulled off a stunning upset in the men's 400 hurdles, beating Olympic gold medalist and Pan Ams record-holder Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic.
Kunkel won easily in 48.24 after Sanchez tripped on the last obstacle to finish fourth.
«It was mine, it was mine,» Sanchez said.
Cuba dominated the women's events, with Yargeris Savigne winning the triple jump and Misleydis Gonzalez taking gold in the shot put.
Savigne also set a Pan Ams record with 14.80 meters, beating the previous record of 14.77 set by Cuban Yamile Aldama in 1999 in Winnipeg.
Savigne, who had finished third in the long jump on Wednesday, easily beat silver medalist Keila Costa of Brazil with 14.38. Cuba's Mabel Gay won bronze with 14.26. Crowd favorite Maurren Maggi - winner of the long jump - finished fourth.
Cubans also finished 1-2 in the shotput, with Gonzalez taking gold with a toss of 18.83. Teammate Yumileidi Cumba - the defending champion - took silver with 18.28, and Cleopatra Borel-Brown of Trinidad and Tobago was third with 18.22.
«It wasn't good,» Cumba said. «I could have done better because I'm an Olympic champion. My performance wasn't the way I expected.
And it was another Cuban duo dominating the women's javelin. Osleidys Menendez won gold with a season's best throw of 63.24 and Sonia Bisset took silver with 60.68, while Eve Laverne of the Bahamas finished third.
Brazil's Juliana Santos gave local fans something to cheer about with a thrilling victory in the women's 1,500. America's Mary Jayne Harrelson led for most of the race but Santos overtook her on the final curve and pulled away for victory in a time of 4:13.36. Colombia's Rosibel Garcia Mena was third.
A fan in the grandstands handed Santos a Brazilian flag and she paraded with it along the track, to the cheers of the crowd.
«I trained very hard to get here,» Santos said.
Megan Elizabeth Metcalfe of Canada also saved her best for last, overtaking American Catherine Ferrell with one lap to go to win the women's 5,000. The lanky Ferrell led nearly the entire race until Metcalfe grabbed the lead with a burst on the final lap and won going away in a time of 15:35.78. Leticia Rocha de la Cruz of Mexico took bronze.
Cuba's Roxana Diaz took gold in a photo finish in the women's 200. She finished in 22.90, just .02 seconds ahead of Jamaica's Sheri-Ann Brooks, who led most of the race. Grenada's Sherry Fletcher was bronze, .06 behind Diaz.
Brendan Christian won a rare gold for Antigua and Barbuda, nosing out Jamaica's Marvin Anderson in the men's 200 in another photo finish. Christian clocked 20.37 and Anderson 20.38.
In the night's final event, Cuba's Victor Moya edged out Donald Thomas of the Bahamas to win the men's high jump. Moya cleared 2.32 meters for the gold, while Thomas took silver with 2.30. |
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