News03 Dec 2002


‘Aztec Queen’ leads Golden spree in El Salvador

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Dudley Dorival (Haiti) - right - with World championship bronze medal (© Getty Images)

Mexico's Ana Guevara and the Dominican Republic's high jumper Juana Arrendel led their respective countries to a brilliant second day of athletics at the 19th Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in San Salvador yesterday, on which both nations took three golds each.

Elsewhere, Dudley Dorival (HAI) at 110m hurdles and Dion Crabbe (IVB) at 100m, led their respective nations to their first ever CAC Games titles.

Guevara finished an impeccable and undefeated season with an easy 51.87 win in the 400m, supported by some 5000 spectators at the Flor Blanca Stadium, including Salvadoran President Francisco Flores.

"It's been an incredible year and I hope to have another season as successful as this one. I'll continue to work hard to be able to achieve better results for my country and Latin America", said the 25-year old "Aztec Queen", as the Salvadorans have named her.

Guevara easily beat Dominican Republic's Lorena Rosa (53.09) and Venezuela's Eliana Rodrmguez (53.18), and then did the lap of honour carrying both the Mexican and Salvadoran flags.

"Unfortunately, the condition of the track and the wind did not help much to try to break the CAC Games record (50.56), but it was more difficult to end your season, rest and then resume training again to be able to compete here", commented the IAAF World Cup winner.

The Mexican star will aim at a second title on Friday 6 in the 4x400m relay, an event in which Mexican women have only ever clinched a silver medal before, in the 1990 Mexico City Games.

In the field events, Juana Rosario Arrendel confirmed her solid comeback from a two year doping suspension, when she cleared 1.97 for a Games record, smashing Cuban Silvia Costa's 1.96 standard from 1986.

"It's my redemption. Let's say I took a two-year break", said Arrendel.   The 24-year old athlete returned to competition in 2001 but had failed to qualify for the final at the Edmonton Worlds. However, in August she improved her personal best to 1.95 to win the title at the Under-25 North-Central American and Caribbean Championships in San Antonio (USA).

In San Salvador, she cleared 1.91 and 1.94 on her first attempts and 1.97 in the third and final one, for a victory. It was an unforgettable day of athletics for her country, as Carlos Santa and Ventura Vasquez also contributed with two more golds.

Santa shattered his own national record to win the 400m in 45.83, while Vasquez dominated the women's shot put with a below par 17.04m. The country's number one athlete, 400m Hurdles World champion and Golden League Jackpot winner Felix Sanchez will run the 4x400m relay on Friday.

Cuban-born Liliana Allen claimed her seventh CAC title, her third in the 100m but the first one representing Mexico, by clocking 11.34 for the women’s dash.

The 32-year old who was eighth in the 1992 Olympic 100m, won the 100m, 200m, 4x100m triple in Mexico City'90 and Ponce'93, and will aim at the 200m gold on Thursday.

World 110m hurdles bronze medallist Dudley Dorival in his specialist event gave Haiti its first athletics gold ever in the CAC history, as did Dion Crabbe (British Virgin Islands), who broke the national 100 metres record with 10.28 for the men’s sprint.

The third day of the athletics tournament on Tuesday will feature six finals: men's hammer, 800m and 5000m, and women's 100m hurdles, Pole Vault and Javelin throw.

Jamaica's 1996 Olympic finalist Dionne Rose-Henley is defending her 1998 title in the sprint hurdles. Mexico's Pablo Olmedo, who broke the CAC 10,000m record on Sunday (28:36.67), will aim for a second gold in the 5000m, and will be up against his countryman David Galvan, who was an Olympic 5000m finalist in 2000 and came second over 3000m at this year’s IAAF World Cup in Madrid.

So far, Mexico leads the tournament with 13 medals (six gold, six silver and a bronze), followed by the Dominican Republic (4-1-0) and Puerto Rico (1-3-1). There are eight countries with gold and 14 with at least one medal.

Javier Clavelo Robinson for the IAAF

Monday's Medallists:

M
en:

100m:
1. Dion Crabbe (IVB) 10.28
2. Jeszs Carrisn (PUR) 10.32
3. Rolando Blanco (GUA) 10.34 

400m:
1. Santa Rammrez (DOM) 45.83
2. Lansford Spence (JAM) 46.31
3. Juan Pablo Toledo (MEX) 46.79

1500m:
1. Juan Luis Barrios (MEX) 3:43.71
2. Alexander Greaux (PUR) 3:45.75
3. Michael Tomlin (JAM) 3:49.33

110 H:
1. Dudley Dorival (HAI) 13.82
2. Paulo Villar (COL) 13.94
3. Ricardo Melbourne (JAM) 14.02

TJ:
1. Albin Renterma (COL) 15.57
2. Johnny Rodrmguez (VEN) 15.42
3. Wayne McSeween (GRN) 15.12 

Women:

100m:
1. Liliana Allen (MEX) 11.34
2. Heather Samuel (ANT) 11.44
3. Melocia Clarke (JAM) 11.57

400m:
1. Ana Guevara (MEX) 51.87
2. Lorena Rosa (DOM) 53.09
3. Eliana Rodrmguez Pacheco (VEN) 53.18

HJ:
1. Juana Rosario Arrendel (DOM) 1.97
2. Romary Rifka (MEX) 1.85
3. Katerine Ibarguen (COL) 1.79

SP:
1. Ventura Vasquez (DOM) 17.04
2. Luz Dary Castro (COL) 15.98
3. Isabella Charles (DMA) 12.84

HT:
1. Amaryls Almestica (PUR) 60.39
2. Violeta Guzman Magaqa (MEX) 58.48
3. Nancy Guillin (ESA) 57.10

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