Crushing force
of Cuban athletics
CARTAGENA,
July 28.—Cartagena fans only have words of
acknowledgement for the devastating force of Cuban
representatives in the athletics meet of the 20th
Central American and Caribbean Games, says a PL
cable from this city.
The
local papers of this, the capital of Bolívar
department, as well as the national dailies all
carry headlines referring to both the partial
demolition of their skaters and the performance of
the Cuban track and field athletes, resulting in 15
golds in three events.
Yesterday the Cubans won seven of the eight
disputed finals, three of them with first and second,
in addition to four records for the Games.
Traditional Cuban hegemony in the throwing events
was likewise reaffirmed by the shot putters, with
Yumisleidis Cumbá taking the gold (19.31) and
Misleydis González (18.80) the silver, leaving
Trinidadian Cleopatra Borel-Brown with the bronze
(18.33). then came the triple jumpers with the one-two
for Yoandri Betanzos who, with a formidable 17.46
wiped from the slate the previous record of 17.18 (Yoelbi
Quesada in Maracaibo 98) and Alexis Copello (16.85),
who could only execute his first attempt.
The third record of the competition emerged from
the legs of sprinter Roxana Díaz, who covered the
200 meters in 22.76 seconds, accompanied by Virgin
Hodge of St. Kitts and Nevis with 23.09 and
Barbadian Hade Latoya Baily (23.32).
Daimi Pernía also climbed to the top position on
the podium in the 400-meter hurdles with her best
result of the year (55.60), enough to leave behind
Trinidadian Josanne Lucas (55.60) and Jamaican
Melany Worker (55.97).
Junior Lastre was the best in men’s discus, with
57.00 meters, a lower result in terms of the world
elite, and virtually on his own, as his compatriot
Alexis Paumier, a shot put specialist, committed
three fouls. The silver and bronze went to Jamaican
Jeison Morgan (56.56) and Venezuelan Héctor Hurtado
(52.60).
Finally, young Yuleidis Limonto became the all-round
athlete of the Games, by dominating the Heptathlon
with 5,952 points, breaking the previous records of
her compatriot Magalys García (5,903), set in Ponce
1993. Behind Limonta came Dominican Juana Castillo
(5,664) and Gretchen Quintana (5,584).
The only prize that escaped the Cubans this
Thursday was won by Panamanian Bayano Kamani in the
400-meter hurdles, with a time of 49.44 seconds,
chased by Jamaicans Jean Weakle (49.74) and Bryan
Stell (50.12).
The disappointment of the night was Dominican
Félix Sánchez, who came in fourth, even though he
returned to training barely six weeks ago.
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