Brazil's Area Record winning 4x400m relay team (© Eduardo Biscayart)
Only one Area Record fell in the entire competition, and it happened on the last day, when
The “verdeamarelho” team was composed by Maria Laura Almirão (52.4 split), Josiane Tito (52.3), Lucimar Teodoro (52.0) and Geisa Coutinho (51.9).
The men’s version of the long relay was somehow controversial.
As a consequence of this, the Brazilians were initially disqualified, and later reinstated.
Twelve finals took place on Sunday
In what was probably the biggest surprise of the whole meeting, Uruguayan Heber Viera beat
One championship record – other than the women’s 4x400 – also to fall on Sunday, was the women’s Hammer. Brazilian Katiuscia de Jesus won the event with 61.01m (from the 4th round). Second was Josiane Soares (BRA) with 59.65m, and third Adriana Beneventa (VEN) with 58.34m. It was
Elisângela Adriano added another title to her illustrious collection, by winning the Shot with 18.34m. It was Elisângela’s 6th consecutive victory in the SP, and 10 gold in total (12, counting 2 silvers) in the history of the Championships. It equals the feat of another Brazilian, Wanda dos
Luciana de Paula Mendes won the 800 metres with a season’s best of 2:02.06, ahead of compatriot Christiane Ritz dos
For 32-year-old Mendes it has been her 4th consecutive in an event where she holds the Championship record.
In the men’s version of the 2-laps, Fabiano Peçanha (BRA), who had won the 1500m, surprised countryman Osmar Barbosa dos
Another athlete to complete a double victory was Colombian Melisa Murillo, who on Sunday won the 200m, after taking the victory in the 100m on Friday (11.35). With a PB of 23.13, Murillo beat South American record holder, Brazilian Lucimar de Moura (23.34).Third was Venezuela’s Wilmary Álvarez with 23.40, a new national record, and also a new area junior record.
The rest of the victories of the day belonged to Brazilian athletes. Fabrício de Azevedo Romero won the HJ with 2.22m, Sérgio Galdino the 20000m Walk with 1:25:54.2, and Keila Costa the TJ with 13.62m.
Results
Third and final day – Sunday June 22, 2003
Men
200m (-0.9): 1 Heber Viera URU 20.60, 2 Claudinei da Silva BRA 20.63, 3 Jorge Célio Sena BRA 20.71
800m: 1 Fabiano Peçanha BRA 1:46.32, 2 Osmar dos Santos BRA 1:46.92, 3 Simoncito Silvera VEN 1:48.31
HJ: 1 Fabrízio Romero BRA 2.22, 2 Jessé de Lima BRA 2.22, 3 Alfredo Deza PER 2.16
4x400m: 1 Brazil (Ambrósio, de Araújo, Godoy, A.J. dos Santos) 3:05.28, 2 Venezuela (Palma, Luna, Nuñez, Hernández) 3:09.26, 3 Colombia (Chávez, Espinoza, Bermúdez, Rojas) 3:09.48
20000m W: 1 Sérgio Galdino BRA 1:25:54.2, 2 Freddy Hernández COL 1:26:00.0, 3 Cristián Muñoz CHI 1:31:16.1
Women
200m (0.0): 1 Digna Murillo COL 23.13, 2 Lucimar de Moura BRA 23.34, 3 Wilmary Álvarez VEN 23.40
800m: 1 Luciana Mendes BRA 2:02.06, 2 Christiane Ritz dos Santos 2:02.50, 3 Rosibel García COL 2:02.84
5000m: Maria Cristina Rodrigues BRA 16:11.70, 2 Erika Olivera CHI 16:23.97, 3 Lucélia Peres BRA 16:36.31
TJ: 1 Keila Costa BRA 13.62/0.8, 2 Luciana dos Santos BRA 13.42/2.1, 3 Caterine Ibargüen COL 13.07/-0.1
SP: 1 Elisângela Adriano BRA 18.34, 2 Luz Dary Castro COL 16.59, 3 Marianne Berndt CHI 16.39
HT: 1 Katiuscia de Jesus BRA 61.01*, 2 Josiane Soares BRA 59.65, 3 Adriana Benaventa VEN 58.34
4x400m: 1 Brazil (Almirão, Tito, Teodoro, Coutinho) 3:28.64* AR, 2 Venezuela (W. Álvarez, Alfonso, Y. García, Pacheco) 3:34.30, 3 Colombia (Ararat, Oliveros, Brock, R. García) 3:41.05
* Championship Record
Country - Gold- Silver - Bronze-Total
BRA 27 19 8 54
VEN 5 9 10 24
COL 5 7 8 20
ARG 3 3 4 10
CHI 1 3 8 12
Country - Men - Women-Overall
BRA 239 273 512
VEN 131 101 232
COL 63 110 173
CHI 58 74 132
ARG 77 39 116