Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor - Sport
Jamaica's Maurice Smith celebrates after a successful throw during the discus throw of the men's decathlon at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro yesterday. Smith won the gold medal. - AP
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:
Jamaica's athletes are set to increase their medal tally at the XV Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro today.
National champion Delloreen Ennis-London and Vonette Dixon will run in the sprint hurdles final, while Nickiesha Wilson and Shevon Stoddart will face the starter in the 400m hurdles final.
Long jumper Elva Goulbourne and high jumper Peaches Roach will also be in action in the finals of their events.
Running in the first of three semi-final heats yesterday, Ennis-London streaked ahead of the field to the first hurdle and from then on was in cruise control. She hit the line in 12.81 seconds ahead of American Jenny Adams' 13.15. Cuba's Yenima Arencibia was third in 13.32.
Dixon was surprised by Canada's Angela Whyte in semi-final two. The Canadian ran a very strong race to clock the fastest time, 12.68. Dixon was second in 12.86 and Haiti's Nadine Faustin-Parker third in a season-best 13.24.
Another Canadian, 2003 world champion Perdita Felicien, took heat three in her season best 12.69. Cuba's Anay Tejeda also ran a season best 12.80 for second.
Two Jamaican women will also line up in the 400 metres final at 4:40 p.m. (Jamaican time) today after winning their semi-final heats yesterday. Davita Prendergast took heat two in 51.47 from Cuba's Indira Terrero, 51.56. Shereefa Lloyd ran a strong heat three and just held on in 51.66 from Christine Amertil (51.67) of the Bahamas. The fastest qualifier for today's final is Mexico's Ana Guevara who won the first heat in 51.10.
Leford Green did not advance to today's men's 400m final after he placed seventh in 46.80 in the first of two semi-finals. Chris Brown of the Bahamas won the race in 45.51. The other semi-final went to Canada's Christopher Tyler in 45.28.
OUT OF MEDALS
Ysanne Williams, the American-based Jamaican, ran a gallant 800m final, but could not match the finishing speed of the medallists who all clocked season-best times.
Canada's Diane Cummings took gold in 1:59.75, Colombia's Rosibel Garcia collected a surprising silver in 2:00.02 and Cuba's Zulia Calatayud, third in 2:00.34.
Jamaica also finished out of the medals in the women's 100m final. Drawn in lane eight, Tracy-Ann Rowe trailed the field throughout and was eighth in 11.56.
American Mikele Barber celebrated gold with a Games record 11.02 seconds beating the 11.05 set by another American, Evelyn Ashford, way back in 1979 in Puerto Rico. Mechelle Lewis made it an American one-two with silver in 11.24. Veteran Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas was the bronze medal winner in 11.29.
Hot favourite Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles captured the men's 100m in 10.15 from American Darvis Patton (10.17). Antigua's Brendan Christian was third in 10.26.
Tennis players Eldad Campbell and Dominic Pagon were left idle yesterday after persistent rain forced the postponement of yesterday's matches at the Marapendi Club. The Jamaican pair were down to face Brazil's top-ranked pair of Marcos Daniel and Flavio Saretta in the men's doubles round of 16.
Jamaica's Deloreen Ennis-London clears a hurdle during a women's 100 metres hurdles semi-final yesterday. - AP
PAN AM RESULTS
Athletics
Women's
100 - 1, Mikele Barber, United States, 11.02 seconds. 2, Michelle Lewis, United States, 11.24 3. Chandra Sturrup, Bahamas, 11.29.
800 - 1, Diane Cummins, Canada, 1:59.75. 2. Rosibel Garcia Mena, Colombia, 2:00.02. 3, Zulia Calatayud, Cuba, 2:00.34.
Basketball
Women's final - United States 79, Brazil 66
For bronze - Cuba 62, Canada 49
Bowling
Men
Doubles - 1, Cassidy Schaub and Rhino Page, United States, 5,260. 2, Fabio Rezende and Rodrigo Hermes, Brazil, 5,102. 3, Victor Richards and Rolando Sebelen, 5,048.
Field Hockey
Women's final - Argentina 4, United States 2
For bronze - Netherlands Antilles 2, Chile 1
Consolations - Canada 3, Cuba 2, Uruguay 8, Brazil 0
Futsal
Men's preliminaries - Paraguay 2, Guatemala 1, Brazil 8, Cuba 0, Costa Rica 1, Argentina 1, Ecuador 3, United States 3,
Pentathlon
Men
1, Eli Bremer, United States, 5,380 points. 2, Yaniel Velazquez, Cuba, 5,344. 3, Joshua Riker-Fox, Canada, 5,328.
Soccer
Men's semi-finals - Jamaica 0, Mexico 0 (Jamaica wins 5-4 on penalties), Ecuador 1, Bolivia 0
Table Tennis
Men
Team semi-finals - Brazil def. Canada 3-1, Argentina def. United States 3-2.
Final - Brazil def. Argentina 3-1.
Women
Team semi-finals - United States def. Cuba 3-0, Canada def. Dominican Republic 3-1.
Final - United States def. Canada 3-0.
Volleyball
Men
First round - Venezuela def. Puerto Rico 29-31, 25-16, 25-18, 25-19, Canada def. Mexico 25-17, 19-25, 29-27, 25-19.
Water Skiing
Men
Jump - 1, Jaret Llewellyn, Canada, 65.40 points. 2, Ryan Dodd, Canada, 64.30. 3, Rodrigo Miranda, Chile, 61.20.
Tricks - 1, Jaret Llewellyn, Canada, 11,040. 2, Cory Pickos, United States, 10,650. 3, Ryan Dodd, Canada, 9,580.
Women
Jump - 1, Regina Jaquess, United States, 43.70 points. 2, Whitney McClintock, Canada, 43.50. 3, Mandy Nightingale, United States, 42.10.
Tricks - 1, Whitney McClintock, Canada, 7,530. 2, Mandy Nightingale, United States, 7,380. 3, Regina Jaquess, United States, 7,050.
