Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor -- Sport
Jamaica's Peta Gaye Dowdie (right) crosses the finish line to win the women's 4X100m relay race at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil yesterday. - AP
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:
A brilliant opening leg in the women's sprint relay final by 200 metres silver medallist Sheri-Ann Brooks yesterday, ensured that the Jamaica National Anthem was played for a third time at the XV Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Running out of lane seven, Brooks blew away the field to establish a clear lead and with good support legs from Tracy-Ann Rowe, Aleen Bailey and Peta Gaye Dowdie, Jamaica held on to win in 43.58 seconds from the fast-finishing Mikele Barber on anchor for the United States. The Americans clocked 43.62 for silver, while Cuba got bronze in 43.80.
Jamaica ended the Games in 13th overall and sixth in track and field with nine medals - three gold, five silver and one bronze medal. The tally is five less than the 14 the island won at the 2003 Games in Santo Domingo.
Pan American Games 2007 ends today with the men's marathon this morning and the closing ceremony at the Maracana Stadium in late afternoon.
A beaming Bailey said the rain which had been at a steady drizzle for the entire day was no hindrance to Jamaica's golden girls.
"We Jamaicans love the rain. We get a lot of practice running at the Penn Relays each year," she added.
Dowdie, the former national sprint champion of seven years ago, said the entire team was happy for the victory.
Feels good
"It feels good for all of us when you consider we did not get any practice," Dowdie said.
She admitted that they were confident ahead of the race.
"I definitely knew we had one of the strongest teams coming in so it was just a matter of getting the stick all the way around the track."
Jamaica finished out of the medals in both 4x400m relays after promising starts. The women's 4x400m quartet looked certain to get a medal after two good legs from Ronetta Smith and Shereefa Lloyd. Former Holmwood Technical schoolgirl Anastasia Le-Roy, on her first senior assignment, could not maintain the three metres lead she got from Lloyd and Jamaica ended up fourth in 3:28.74. The other member of the quartet was Davita Prendergast.
Cuba took gold in 3:27.51 and Mexico bagged silver in a national record 3:27.75. The United States were third in 3:27.84.
The men's event ended in triumph for The Bahamas in 3:01.94 from the United States, 3:02.44 and Dominican Republic, 3:02.48.
Jamaica's quartet - Allodin Fothergill, Dwight Mullings, Edino Steele and Leford Green - tried hard to be competitive but they lacked the overall quality of the medallists and were fifth in 3:04.15.
Aldwyn Sappleton could not reproduce his personal best 1:46.84 from Friday's 800m semi-finals and was sixth in yesterday's final in 1:47.14 behind runaway winner, Cuba's Yeimer Lopez, who won in a Games record 1:44.58. Brazilians bagged silver and bronze. Davide Kleberson crossed the line in a personal best 1:45.47 for silver while Fabiano Pecanha was third in 1:45.54.
Sappleton, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) student at Oklahoma University, who went out with the early pace refused to blame the weather for his sixth place.
"It's just a little mistake with my strategy. That's all it was. Fitness-wise I am very strong and since I have not had many of these races I doubted myself. I know I can go faster."
The former Edwin Allen High and Munro College Boys Championships star said he needs more races to really put on the edge and to get at least the 1:46.60 'B' qualifying time for the World Championships.
"Races, that's all I am lacking right now. Since 2003 I have been running 1:47s. Usually when it comes to the end of the season I cannot find races. Races like these help to push me forward and the more I get races like these the more you will see 1:45s and 1:44s," said the 25-year-old Sappleton.
Eric Keddo was also sixth in the men's 110 metres hurdles final, clocking 13.91 seconds. The gold medalist was hot pre-meet favourite, Cuba's Dayron Robles, who came through in the rain to win in 13.25. American David Payne was second in 13.43 while the bronze went to another Cuban, Yoel Hernandez in 13.50.
Men's discus throwers, national record holder Jason Morgan and Hickel Woolery, were hampered, like all the other throwers by the rain. Morgan whose national record stands at 62.95m had only one legal throw, 50.09m and placed 10th. Wollery was ninth with 50.51m. Americans Michael Robertson and Adam Kuehl captured gold and silver respectively with throws of 58.00m and 57.50m. Bronze went to Canada's Dariusx Slowik, 57.37m.
