Chilean Shot putter Marco Antonio Verni wins the 2003 S. Amer champs (© Eduardo Biscayart)
Chilean Shot putter Marco Antonio Verni produced the top performance of the first day of the 42nd edition of the South American Championships, which started on Friday 20 June at the “Máximo Viloria Stadium” in Barquisimeto, State of Lara, and finishes on Sunday.
The 27 year-old from Santiago unleashed a 20.23m put in his fifth attempt to secure the gold medal and erase the name of compatriot Gert Weil and his 20.14m mark from 1985 from the Championship record’s list. Weil, is still the area record holder with 20.90m, and Verni has a personal best of 20.38 from this season.
Only 3 championship records were improved on the first day, which was humid, partly cloudy, with some rain, and brief moments of sun.
The others two records were set by Brazilian women athletes. Lucimar Teodoro in the 400m Hurdles with a clocking of 56.86, and Juliana de Azevedo in the 1500m with 4:17.54. Teodoro won easily over compatriot Raquel da Costa, and Colombian Princesa Oliveros, while de Azevedo took her event with a powerful final lap, were she left behind Niusha Mancilla (BOL) and Ana Cláudia Coimbra (BRA).
Brazil, even without some of its biggest names such as Maurren Maggi, and André da Silva (injured), and Hudson de Souza (sick), dominated the championships as ,was predicted. The “verdeamarelhos” won 7 events in the first day, while Argentina was the second nation in the early medal count with 2 golds.
Other good victories for Brazil, came from Fabiano Peçanha in 1500 (3:39.74), Marílson dos Santos in 5000 (13:52.15) and Elisângela Adriano in the Discus (58.37).
Argentina took the Hammer title, as it’s been doing sincesince 1985. Juan Cerra and Adrián Marzo went 1-2, with Cerra reaching 73.31, and the veteran Marzo 67.25.
In the morning session, Alejandra García had to go to a very emotive tiebreaker with Carolina Torres in the Pole Vault, after both reached 4.20m with the same amount of fouls over that height and the entire competition. After 4.20, both had 3 fouls at 4.25, then the tiebreaker began with a foul a piece at 4.20. Finally at 4.15, García cleared, while Torres didn’t. Still for the Chilean, who resides in Switzerland, the 4.20m mark represents a new national record.
Panama, Colombia and the host nation, Venezuela, had all won one title each over the first day.
Bayamo Kamani a former college student in the USA, won only the 3rd gold medal for Panamá in the history of the championships, after 2 victories of Héctor Daley at 400m in 1985 and 1987. Kamani took the 400m Hurdles in 50.10.
Colombia’s gold came from a brilliant victory by Digna Luz Murillo in the women’s 100m (11.35), and Venezuela’s through Víctor Castillo in the men’s Long Jump, with a mark of 7.78m.
Eduardo Biscayart for the IAAF
Results – Friday June 20, 2003
Men
100m (1.2): 1 Édson Ribeiro BRA 10.30, 2 Heber Viera URU 10.33, 3 Jarbas Mascarenhas BRA 10.36
1500m: 1 Fabiano Peçanha BRA 3:39.74, 2 Miguel Ángel García VEN 3:41.01, 3 Javier Carriqueo ARG 3:42.65
5000m: 1 Marílson dos Santos BRA 13:52.15, 2 William Naranjo COL 14:03.41, 3 Luis Fonseca VEN 14:17.44
400mh: 1 Bayamo Kamani PAN 50.10, 2 Cleverson da Silva BRA 50.35, 3 Eronilde de Araújo BRA 50.81
LJ: 1 Víctor Castillo VEN 7.78/0.7, 2 Sérgio dos Santos BRA 7.65/0.4, 3 Irving Saladino PAN 7.46/0.1
SP: 1 Marco Antonio Verni CHI 20.23*, 2 Yoger Medina VEN 19.29, 3 Jhonny Rodríguez COL 18.22
HT: 1 Juan Cerra ARG 73.31, 2 Adrián Marzo ARG 67.25, 3 Aldo Bello VEN 65.27
Decathlon (5 events): Eric Kerwitz ARG 3880 (11.14/1.1 7.26/-2.8 12.44 1.96 50.88), Enrique Aguirre ARG 3865 (11.15 6.54/-1.2 13.52 2.02 50.11), Édson Bindilatti BRA 3841 (11.33 7.08/-1.7 11.36 1.93 47.96)
Women
100m (0.2): 1 Digna Murillo COL 11.35, 2 Lucimar de Moura BRA 11.43, 3 Wilmary Álvarez VEN 11.59
1500m: 1 Juliana de Azevedo BRA 4:17.54*, 2 Niusha Mancilla BOL 4:21.54, 3 Ana Cláudia Coimbra BRA 4:21.75
10000m: 1 Ednalva da Silva BRA 34:13.50, 2 Erika Olivera CHI 34:43.02, 3 Luz Silva CHI 35:01.73
400mh: 1 Lucimar Teodoro BRA 56.86*, 2 Raquel da Costa BRA 57.51, 3 Princesa Oliveros COL 57.53
PV: 1 Alejandra García ARG 4.20, 2 Carolina Torres CHI 4.20, 3 Milena Agudelo COL 4.00
LJ: 1 Keila Costa BRA 6.30/0.2, 2 Caterine Ibargüen COL 6.04/-0.4, 3 Mónica Falcioni URU 5.94/0.0
DT: 1 Elisângela Adriano BRA 58.37, 2 Luz Dary Castro COL 51.73, 3 María Cubillán VEN 50.47
Heptathlon (4 events): Thaimara Rivas VEN 3320 (14.38/0.2 1.70 12.37 25.36), Elizete da Silva BRA 3193 (15.04 1.64 12.32 24.94), Valeria Steffens CHI 3126 (15.27 1.64 12.75 25.67)
