Golden Day for USA in Parapan Athletics

The Stars and Stripes now boast a total of 31 track and field medals, including 15 golds, just ahead of Brazil in the rankings.

Team USA now leads the medal table in Athletics at the 2011 Parapan American Games after claiming six gold medals on the third day of competition at the Telmex Athletics Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The Stars and Stripes now boast a total of 31 track and field medals, including 15 golds, just ahead of Brazil in the rankings.

The day started with a world record, the second in Athletics at the Games, in the men’s Discus F54/55/56. Cuba’s Leonardo Diaz (44.36m) let out a monster throw in the final round to secure gold with a world-record distance, adding more than a metre to his own previous world’s best of 43.10m. Silver went to Jamaica’s Tanto Campbell (40.42m) while USA’s Scott Winkler (30.59m) took his second medel of the Games with a bronze.

Leslie Mendoza (9.70m) claimed Mexico’s first gold of the day in the women’s Shot Put F20 by just 7cm from Venezuela’s Eddy Guerrero (9.61m).

USA’s Sam Craven (10.60m) claimed gold with a Games record in the men’s Shot Put F32/33/34. Colombia’s Maurice Valencia took silver (8.52m) with Cuba’s Erick Figueredo (7.91m) third.

Tanner Gers (5.73m) took home USA’s first gold of the day with a Long Jump F11 gold. Silver and bronze went to Argentina’s Alexis Acosta (5.27m) and Colombia’s Jose Alexis Belizario Angulo (4.93m) respectively.

Two Americas records were set in the women’s Shot Put F54/55/56. First up was gold-medal winner Yanive Torres Martinez (6.18m), who set a new F54 record. Silver medallist Angela Madsen (8.14m) set a new F56 record, while fellow F56 thrower Veronica Azucena Saucedo (7.72m) took bronze.

Host nation Mexico got off to a great start to the day on the track with Fernando Sanchez Nava (49.05) winning a closely contested men’s 400m T54. Just behind him in silver was Venezuela’s Juan Valladares (49.70) while bronze went to USA’s Erik Hightower (50.00).

A new Games record was set in the men’s Shot Put F12 as Columbia’s Edwin Rodriguez Gonzales threw 11.98m. Silver went to Argentina’s Sebastian Baldassarri (11.73m) and Venezuela’s Anibal Bello (11.43m) took bronze.

With 13 competitors, the men’s Discus F57/F58 had the biggest field of the day. Gold went to Mexico’s Fernando del Rosario Gonzalez (50.51m) in a new Games record. USA’s Dennis Ogbe (44.94m) and Brazil’s Claudiney Batista dos Santos (37.53m) took silver and bronze, respectively.

USA took gold in the men’s 1,500m T46 through Chris Hammer (4:09.09) who took the race on with 700m to go. He finished ahead of Mexico’s Mario Santillan Hernandez (4:11.07) and Venezuela’s Wuillian Briceno (4.12.25).

The men’s 1,500m T20 was a Venezuelan one two with Rene Rafael Norono Verdejo (4:25.89) taking gold ahead of teammate Jovito Gutierrez (4:29.92). Bronze went to USA’s Nigel Murray (4:33.40)

A new Games record was set in the men’s 800m T36 by USA’s Tommy Chasanoff (2:30.90), who took gold ahead of Colombia’s Fabio Gutierrez Torres (2:31.82) in silver and Mexico’s Rafael Olmedo Gongora (2:34.36) in bronze.

Cuba’s Yundis Castillo (12.08) put in arguably the best performance of the day on the track in the women’s 100m T46, taking gold and missing out on her 2008 world record by just 0.04 seconds. Silver went to Brazil’s Sheila Finder (13.29).

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There was no fairytale medal for Jessica Copper Lewis, Bermuda’s only athlete at the Games, in the women’s 100m T53 as she missed out by 0.03 seconds on claiming bronze. Instead it went to Venezuela’s Yadira Soturno (20.75), who finished behind silver medallist Sarah White (20.05) of Canada and gold medal winner Chelsea McClammer (19.39) of USA.

USA’s sixth and final gold of the day came through Amberlynn Weber (31.80) in a thrilling women’s 100m T54. She finished millimetres ahead of the Mexican duo of Yazmith Bataz (31.85) and Gloria Sanchez (32.97).

The final two events of the day saw double joy for Brazil.

World-record holder and Paralympic champion Lucas Prado (22.85) stormed to gold in the men’s 200m T11 ahead of teammate Daniel Silva (23.02) and Cuba’s Adrian Iznaga (23.31).

Then, in the final race of the day, Thierb Siqueira (23.18) led the field home in the men’s 200m T12. Silver went to Mexico’s Jorge Benjamin Gonzalez Sauceda (23.34) and bronze Lazaro Reus Fabian (23.44) of Cuba.

In total there are 111 medal events in six days of athletics competition at the Parapan American Games involving 342 athletes from 22 countries. Friday (14 November) will be the busiest day on the track and on the field with 30 gold medals up for grabs. Tomorrow 24 golds will be won.

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