Brazil dominates - 43rd South American Champs, Day One

Cali, ColombiaThe fortythird edition of the South American Championships, the oldest area championships, began yesterday (Friday 22) in the Colombian city of Cali, at the “Estadio Pascual Guerrero”, situated at an altitude of 995 metres above sea level.

This is the second time that the main city in the area called “Valle del Cauca” hosts the event – the previous one was in 1963 – and the first day has been marked, once again, by the good performances of the Brazilian athletes.

Fifteen finals took place on Friday, and eight of them were won by Brazilian athletes, while Colombia was the second most successful country with four victories.

Silva shines in the 400m

The best performance of the day was provided by Uruguayan 19 year-old Andrés Silva, who won the 400m in a national and South American junior record time of 45.38, leaving the area record-holder Sanderlei Parrela from Brazil in second place with 45.83.

The multi-talented Silva, who 2 years ago took the World Youth title at the Octathlon will have plenty of options for the years to come, since he also has shone at the Decathlon and 400m Hurdles with good performances in both events. So it will become a hard decision to pick only one of them for the future.

Jefferson Pérez returns to victory

Other good result was provided by thirty-one year-old Ecuadorian Jefferson Pérez. The 20Km Race Walk World record-holder won the gold at the track race in 1:22:54.4, a championship record time. His compatriot Rolando Saquipay, the winner of the 2005 Pan American Cup, crossed the finish line in second place in 1:22:55.4. Jefferson had only once before won this title in 1993 when he was 19 years old.

Records for Ibargüen

Twenty-one year-old Colombian Caterine Ibargüen set a new national and championship in the women’s High Jump by clearing 1.93m and taking the victory over Argentina’s Solange Witteveen, the South American record holder, who was second with a 1.88m hop.

With her performance from Friday, Ibargüen obtained the “B” Standard that will enable to compete at the World Championships in Helsinki.

Good display by Brazilian sprinters

Other fine victories in the first day of competition were provided by Brazilian sprinters and hurdlers.

That was the case of Lucimar Aparecida de Moura who won the 100m, with a clock of 11.25, and her compatriots Maria Laura Almirão and Maíla Paula Machado.

This is Moura’s fourth title at the 100, and with it she became the sprinter with most victories in the history of the event.
 
Twenty-seven year-old Almirão is having the best season of her life after setting a 400m personal best at the Troféu Brasil with a clocking of 51.30. In Cali, Almirão won in 52.32 to capture her first South American title.

Machado took the 100m Hurdles victory in 13.18, and it’s also her first gold medal at the event. With a personal best of 12.86 from 2004, the 24 year-old has ran the distance in 12.89 in 2005.

Moura, Almirão and Machado will also be representing their country in Helsinki.

The final Championship record of the day came in the Men’s Pole Vault, where 22 year-old Brazilian Fábio Gomes da Silva equalled the event’s top with a 5.40m jump. Two Argentineans escorted him on to the podium - Javier Benítez, second with 5.20, and 2003 IAAF World Youth Champion Germán Chiaraviglio, who only jumped 5.10, due to an injury to one of his feet.

The event will continue on Saturday, and will end on Sunday, 24 July.

Eduardo Biscayart for the IAAF

Results – Day 1 (22 July)

Men
100m (0.2 m/s)
1 André Domingos da Silva BRA 10.32
2 Vicente Lenílson de Lima BRA 10.37
3 Heber Viera URU 10.43
400m
1 Andrés Silva URU 45.38 AR-j
2 Sanderlei Parrela BRA 45.83
3 Gustavo Aguirre ARG 46.43
1500m
1 Fabiano Peçanha BRA 3:41.51
2 Byron Piedra ECU 3:41.90
3 Javier Carriqueo ARG 3:45.53
10,000m
1 José Alirio Carrasco COL 30:07.24
2 Jhon Cusi PER 30:14.74
3 Diego Colorado COL 30:15.55
110m Hurdles (3.4)
1 Redelen dos Santos BRA 13.46
2 Paulo César Villar COL 13.49
3 Mateus Inocêncio BRA 13.72
Pole Vault
1 Fábio Gomes da Silva BRA 5.40 =CR
2 Javier Benítez ARG 5.20
3 Germán Chiaraviglio ARG 5.10
Triple Jump
1 Jefferson Dias Sabino BRA 16.24/0.0
2 Hugo Chilla ECU 15.91/0.3
3 Carlos Carabalí COL 15.85/0.2
Shot
1 Marco Antonio Verni CHI 18.43
2 Yojer Medina VEN 18.32
3 Jhonny Rodríguez COL 18.22
Decathlon (5 events)
Jorge Naranjo CHI 4016
11.37/-0.6 7.43/0.0 12.98 2.08 50.89
Carlos Eduardo Chinin BRA 4009
11.14/-0.6 7.21/0.1 12.47 2.08 50.27
Andrés Mantilla COL 3896
11.30/-0.6 6.82/0.0 13.65 1.99 49.69
20,000m Walk
1 Jefferson Pérez ECU 1:22:54.4 CR
2 Rolando Saquipay ECU 1:22:55.4
3 Luis Fernando López COL 1:23:43.2

Women
100m (0.5)
1 Lucimar de Moura BRA 11.25
2 Melisa Murillo COL 11.39
3 Luciana Alves dos Santos BRA 11.46
400m
1 Maria Laura Almirão BRA 52.32
2 Geisa Coutinho BRA 52.94
3 Wilmaris Álvarez VEN 53.57
1500m
1 Rosibell García COL 4:29.63
2 María de los Ángeles Peralta ARG 4:30.37
3 Valeria Rodríguez ARG 4:31.35
10,000m
1 Bertha Sanchez COL 34:34.40
2 Lucelia Peres BRA 34:51.12
3 Ruby Riativa COL 35:38.02
100m Hurdles (0.1)
1 Maíla Machado BRA 13.18
2 Princesa Oliveros COL 13.51
3 Brigit Merlano COL 13.68
High Jump
1 Caterine Ibargüen COL 1.93 CR
2 Solange Witteveen ARG 1.88
3 Eliana Renata da Silva BRA 1.79
3 Marieles Rojas VEN 1.79
Heptathlon (4 events)
Elizete Marques da Silva BRA 3159
14.8/-0.9 1.64 11.69 24.87/-0.6
Lucimara da Silva BRA 3114
15.2/-0.9 1.70 11.00 25.07/-0.6
Andrea Bordalejo ARG 3103
14.4/-0.9 1.64 11.31 25.81/-0.6