HAVANA. Aug 7: This Is a first for the Cubans, and they’re coming In first all over the place, reports AP.
Cuba owns the 11th Pan American Games, the largest international sports soiree ever held on this island, and that's bad news for the rest of the Americas.
Through four days of competition. the Cubans amassed 51 total medals. 33 of them gold, distancing the US collection of 41 medals, only 12 of which were gold. Canada was third, but so far back no one was counting.
George Steinbrenner, a new US Olympic Committee member. is mad. and you can ask Dave Winfield what that means. US athletes have more excuses than a pickpocket in a lockup, and their coaches shrug it off as a bad day at the OK Corral
Their peaking has been primarily for the Pan American Games." US men's track coach Joe Vigil said of the Cubans. "And they will try to do even better because this is their show."
With Cuban President Fidel Castro and his ministers watching, this is a good time and place for the Cubans to do well, and It's apparent that the Pan American Games have taken on a new meaning for them
The people have inspired me to prepare for getting a gold medal." said Ana Quirot. who set a Pan Ams record of 49.61 seconds when she won the 400 meters Monday. "I consider this the greatest event... because never has my country had an event like this one."
Cuba's track stars led the early medals rout In the first three days of track and field the Cubans won eight golds, two stivers and three bronze Hie United States, meanwhile, had one gold. six silvers and five bronze.
Tuesday was an off day for track, but the Cubans were sure to be on when action resumes Wednesday
"In terms of the medal count, we've been behind at the rest day and liave come on hard in the second half before." Vigil said "Were not performing exceptionally well, but we re doing our best
Cubans also were dominating fencing and weightlifting the Cuban baseball team was a considerable favourite to add another gold — adding a no hitter by Jorge Valdes and four more home runs Tuesday in a 14-0. seven-Inning rout of Canada — and the powerful Cuban boxing team wasn t even scheduled to throw a punch in anger until Wednesday
Three US boxers - Bradley Martinez. Denard Trapp and Sanson Pouha - were paired against Cubans tn the first round, although none were scheduled to fight Wednesday.
While the US baseball team, which beat Mexico 12-4 for its second victory of the games, is an underdog to Cuba, there are some glints of gold for America.
The heavily favoured US women s basketball team al ready had clinched a spot In the medal round when the men advanced on Tuesday with an 87-81 victory over Argentina.
The US men aren’t exactly dusting the credenza with any body, but they did clinch a berth In the quarterfinals And team captain Christian Laettner says he and his teammates are comfortable with the way they're playing.
*1 think we felt tn control. Just as we had in the first two wins." said Laettner. who had 15 points "We show our youth and International inexpert ence. and that's what we have to work on."
The US team left for Miami immediately after Ite victory
and will work out in private before returning to Cuba for its quarterfinal game Friday night against the Bahamas.
US wrestlers, some of the best In the world, went 20-for-20 in their qualifying matches Tuesday, and Americans have swept all three diving events so far.
The diving was a US-Cuba showdown, one of the few that Americans have won. Mark Lenzi of Federicksburg. Va.. beat Cuban Abel Ramirez on his last dive in the 1-meter springboard event.
Earlier. Americans won the men s and women s 3-meter springboard events.
The US women got a taste of gold Tuesday night in gym nasties, edging the Cubans.
And then there's the young gunner from El Monte. Calif., with the scary name and ther even scarier fastball. Debbie doom has thrown two perfect games tn women's softball, and the Cubans arc calling her "La Supersonica." She struck out 17. Including 10 in a row in one stretch, against Nicaragua for a 9-0 victory