14.57 Area Triple Jump Record for Costa as South American Champs finish

Brazilian Keila Costa produced the best result of the final day of the 45th South American Championships that were closed this Saturday 9 June in São Paulo.

On another warm and sunny morning at the track of the “Estádio Ícaro de Castro Mello”, the 24-year-old from Recife, state of Pernambuco, improved the South American Triple Jump record to 14.57 (wind 0.2) to also capture the victory.

The previous record belonged to Brazilian Maurren Maggi with 14.53, and had been set in São Caetano do Sul, on 27 April 2003. The best so far for Costa was 14.43 (São Paulo, 7 March 2007).

Still not at the range of the wind-aided 15.10 she jumped in the South American GP meet in Uberlândia on 6 May, Costa was able to find enough inspiration to set the record.

“She was a bit tired, and perhaps needed a stronger competition, since Maggi didn’t compete, but the result is still very remarkable. We are all very happy with the record,” said her coach Nélio Moura.

Her series was: 14.40/-1.0, 14.18/-0.2, foul, 14.57, and 2 more fouls. This is Costa’s third South American title; her first came in 2001 when she was only 18.

Brazilian Fernanda Procópio Delfino was second with 13.63 (0.7), and Venezuelan Jennifer Arveláez completed the podium with a season’s best of 13.52 (1.0).

19th straight overall win for Brazil

These championships have become all Brazilian since 1974. Since then the only “interesting” team fight is for second place.

Brazil scored, still with a scoring system from first to sixth place, 547.5 points. Colombia was second with 228 points, with Argentina third with 158.5 points. In the medal count, the top three nations were also Brazil (61), Colombia (26) and Argentina (13). All area members, with the exception of Bolivia and Surinam obtained at least one medal.

Murer returns from injury with 4.50m

South American Pole Vault record holder, Brazilian Fabiana Murer, made her come back from injury with a good performance of 4.50, a new Championship record.

After jumping 4.66 indoors on 23 February 2007 in Paris (she also has 4.66 outdoors), Murer had physical problems and this meet represented her return. Murer struggled a bit throughout the whole event. 4.20 was her opening height and was cleared on her third attempt. She then followed with 4.30 (first), 4.40 (third), 4.50 (third) before bowing at at 4.60.

Former South American record Alejandra García (ARG) was second with 4.20m, the same mark as Brazilian Joana Ribeiro Costa (BRA), third.

In the Heptathlon, Brazilian Lucimara Silvestre da Silva set a new Championship record with 5803 points. This is the third time da Silva has scored beyond 5800 points, while her personal best is 5897. The Area record, 6017 by Conceição Geremias, from 25 August 1983 in Caracas, is the oldest in the South American list of top marks.

The victory for da Silva was based on her 13.65 time at 100m Hurdles, her 1.80 in the High Jump, and her 43.25 throw in the javelin. Thirty-six year-old Elizete Gomes da Silva, also from Brazil, was second with 5727 points, a PB.

Other champions from the final day were Sandro Rodrigues Viana (BRA), with 20.54 at 200m, Byron Piedra (ECU), with 3:42.53 in the 1500m, Sergio Lobos (CHI), with 8:37.83, a PB, in the 3000m Steeplechase, Raphael Fernandes (BRA), with 49.81 in the 400m Hurdles, and Jefferson Dias Sabino (BRA), with a 16.68/-0.3 leap in the Triple Jump.

On the female side, Lucimar de Moura (BRA) took the 200m in 23.00 (wind -0.5), a season’s best, on a remarkable double after her 11.20 100m victory. Colombian Felipa Palacios put up a good fight, and finished second with 23.10, also a season’s best.

Yet, it was a good day for the Colombian females. Rosibel García won the 1500m in 4:20.36, Caterine Ibargüen the High Jump with 1.84m, and Eli Johana Moreno the Hammer Throw with 61.93m. Those victories secured the overall second place for the Colombians.

The remaining champions from day three were all from Brazil: Lucélia Peres won the 10,000m in 34:11.95, Lucimar Teodoro the 400m Hurdles in 57.36, and Alessandra Resende the Javelin Throw with 57.75m.

The final events of the competition, the 4x400m relays, also went to the Brazilians. The winning time for the females was 3:33.34 and the one from the males was 3:04.36.

Chile will host the next edition of the South American Championships in 2008.

Eduardo Biscayart for the IAAF

Leading Results –Day 3 (9 June)
Men
200m (0.4)
1 Sandro Rodrigues Viana (BRA) 20.54
2 Heber Viera (URU) 20.59
3 Daniel Grueso (COL) 20.66 =NR
1500m
1 Byron Piedra (ECU) 3:42.53
2 Leandro de Oliveira (BRA) 3:43.26
3 Eduar Villanueva (VEN) 3:43.40
3000m Steeplechase
1 Sergio Lobos (CHI) 8:37.83
2 Gládson Barbosa (BRA) 8:43.69
3 José Gregorio Peña (VEN) 8:54.43
400m Hurdles
1 Raphael Fernandes (BRA) 49.81
2 Maurício Teixeira (BRA) 50.39
3 José Céspedes (VEN)
Triple Jump
1 Jefferson Dias Sabino (BRA) 16.68/-0.3
2 Hugo Chila (ECU) 16.37/0.1
3 Leonardo Elisiário dos Santos (BRA) 15.89/-1.1
4x400m Relay
1 Brasil 3:04.36 (R. Fernandes, E. Vasconcelos, R. Bargas, F. de Almeida)
2 Venezuela 3:05.88 (Céspedes, Silvera, Rivas, Rodríguez)
3 Panama 3:09.67 NR (Gibson, Edmund, Rodríguez, Edwards)
Women
200m (-0.5)
1 Lucimar de Moura (BRA) 23.00
2 Felipa Palacios (COL) 23.10
3 Thaíssa Barbosa Presti (BRA) 23.58
1500m
1 Rosibel García (COL) 4:20.36
2 Marian Burnett (GUY) 4:20.69 NR
3 Zenaide Vieira (BRA) 4:22.08
10000m
1 Lucélia Peres (BRA) 34:11.95
2 Inés Melchor (PER) 34:13.23
3 Bertha Sánchez (COL) 34:23.89
400m Hurdles
1 Lucimar Teodoro (BRA) 57.36
2 Luciana França (BRA) 58.38
3 Lucy Jaramillo (ECU) 58.81
High Jump
1 Caterine Ibargüen (COL) 1.84
2 Solange Witteveen (ARG) 1.81
3 Marielys Rojas (VEN) 1.78
Pole Vault
1 Fabiana Murer (BRA) 4.50 *
2 Alejandra García (ARG) 4.20
3 Joana Ribeiro Costa (BRA) 4.20
Triple Jump
1 Keila Costa (BRA) 14.57/0.2 */AR
2 Fernanda Procópio Delfino (BRA) 13.63/0.7
3 Jennifer Arveláez (VEN) 13.52/1.0
Hammer
1 Eli Johana Moreno (COL) 61.93
2 Katiuscia de Jesus (BRA) 61.57
3 Johana Ramírez (COL) 61.10
Javelin
1 Alessandra Resende (BRA) 57.75
2 Zuleima Araméndiz (COL) 57.55
3 Leryn Franco (PAR) 53.80
Heptathlon
1 Lucimara da Silva (BRA) 5803 * [13.65/0.3 1.80 10.43 24.70/-0.6 (3479/1) 5.79/-1.0 43.25 2:21.11]
2 Elizete Gomes da Silva (BRA) 5727 [14.35/0.3 1.68 12.98 24.69/-0.6 (3400/2) 6.02/-0.1 41.06 2:23.01]
3 Daniela Crespo (ARG) 4856 [15.69/0.3 1.71 9.44 25.81/-0.6 (2927/3) 5.14/-0.8 29.46 2:16.99]
4x400m Relay
1 BRA 3:33.34 (Teodoro, Almirão, Ferreira, Tito)
2 COL 3:43.52 (Palacios, García, Brock, Idrobo)
3 CHI 3:55.13 (Riderelli, Pavez, Díaz, Mackenna)

Medal Table
 G S B Total
Brasil 28 17 16 61
Colombia 7 10 9 26
Argentina 4 5 4 13
Chile 2 2 4 8
Ecuador  1 5 2 8
Uruguay 1 1 1 3
Guyana  1 1 - 2
Venezuela - 1 7 8
Paraguay - 1 1 2
Peru - 1 - 1
Panama - - - 1

Scoring Table
 M W Total
Brazil 252.5 295 547.5
Colombia         79 149 228
Argentina         99.5 59 158.5
Chile 60        31 91
Ecuador           50        37 85
Venezuela        49 20 69
Peru 7 16 23
Uruguay 16 5 21
Guyana - 16 16
Panama 15 - 15
Paraguay 6 7 13
Bolivia 4 3 7