US swimmers won three more gold medals, US player Eva Lee won two more badminton titles to claim a trio and Brazilian Thiago Pereira won a third gold in the pool in highlights of the Pan American Games on Thursday.
But in a heartbreaker for Brazil, the Cuban women's volleyball team saved two match points in the tiebreaker to beat Brazil 25-27, 25-22, 22-25, 34-32, 17-15 and win its first Pan American Games gold since 1995. Favored Brazil had won the last three Grands Prix and reached Thursday's match without losing a set.
On a day of threes, Julia Smit led a US surge with a victory in the 100 backstroke, while Michelle McKeehan took the 100 breaststroke. Smit also anchored the US women's to the 400 freestyle relay crown, beating Brazil by less than a second.
As the crowd chanted "Thiago, Thiago," Pereira won the 200 backstroke in 1 minute, 45.42 seconds, breaking the Pan Am Games record by .35 seconds set in Wednesday's semi-finals by the US' Scott Clary. Clary took silver and Brazil's Lucas Salatta won bronze.
Meanwhile, the 20-year-old Lee followed her women's badminton doubles title on Wednesday, with a victory over Canada's Charmaine Reed for the singles crown, then combined with Howard Bach to win the mixed doubles.
"My heart feels like it's going to explode," said Lee, who dedicated the medal to her parents. "They said they'd get me a present me if I won three gold medals, so I feel like my mission is accomplished."
Pereira already had won the 400 individual medley -- also in Pan Ams record time -- and the 800 freestyle relay. The 21-year-old has set a personal goal of seven gold medals at the games.
"When I leave the podium, I'm already thinking about the next events," he said. "I'm really focused and giving my best in every one. So far there have been three events, three medals and three records. I'm very happy."
The victories gave the US eight gold medals and 18 overall, just ahead of Brazil with six gold and 13 overall.
"There's nothing we can do," shrugged Colombian swimmer Carolina Colorado Henao. "They are the powers that live and train for swimming in the best sites."
US shooters also added to the US medal count. Jason Parker won the 50-meter rifle three-position event for one of two golds and four overall on the day that gave the US 18 in the sport.
Rain flooded the baseball venue and postponed the final between the US and Cuba. The delay could cost the US a chance at the gold. The game was rescheduled for 10am yesterday, but the US players were scheduled to return to the US yesterday evening for a series of friendly games against China, and if field conditions don't improve, they may have to forfeit.
Mexico and Nicaragua shared the bronze medal, because organizers said the field was unfit for the third-place game and the Mexican team had to return home.
The Mexican women's gymnastics team was disqualified and stripped of its bronze medal after the Pan American Sports Organization ruled that Marisela Arizmendi Torres, enrolled as a delegation worker, had competed as an athlete.
The organization expelled delegation chief Alejandro Peniche Franco from the games and gave the bronze medal to Canada, which had finished fourth.
Cuba's victory in sprint cycling was protested by Venezuela, who boycotted the medals ceremony and refused to accept its silver after its complained the Cubans made an illegal move during the gold-medal race. It pledged to file a protest with the Pan American Sports Organization.
Colombia beat Argentina for the bronze.
In rowing, the US won the men's eights, building a two-second lead in the first 500m and pulling away. Canada captured the women's quadruple sculls, with the US winning silver. The Canadians also edged out the US for gold in the lightweight men's four.
Cuba beat Argentina in men's quadruple sculls, with the US taking bronze. It was Cuba's fifth rowing gold in the Pan Am Games, the most of any nation. Canada was second with three golds, while the US and Argentina finished with two golds each.
Cuba also won the heavyweight judo gold, with Oscar Braison defeating Brazil's Joao Schlitter. Mexico's Vanessa Zambotti claimed women's heavyweight, leaving Ecuador's Carmen Chala with the silver.
STILL IN THE HUNT: Rasmus Hojlund took his goal tally for SSC Napoli to nine as the champions cruised to a win at US Cremonese and stayed two points behind the leaders Inter on Sunday stayed at the Serie A summit after beating Atalanta BC 1-0 to maintain their slender lead over local rivals AC Milan. Lautaro Martinez netted the only goal of the game in Bergamo for Inter, who lead Milan, 3-0 winners against Hellas Verona thanks to Christoper Nkunku’s first Serie A goals, by a single point at the top of the division. The Argentina striker has scored in four consecutive league matches to end what has been a tricky year in positive style. “I ended last season in a lot of pain... I kept going during the Club World Cup and international
Backup quarterback Luke Weaver on Wednesday night threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Nick Cenacle with 10 seconds left, as the University of Hawaii rallied for a 35-31 comeback victory over the University of California, Berkeley in a thrilling Hawaii Bowl. Weaver entered the game after Micah Alejado took a hard hit on the previous play. With the Rainbow Warriors (9-4) in range for a tying field goal, coach Timmy Chang took a shot at the end zone, and Cenacle got between two defensive backs and made the contested catch. “How amazing is that?” Chang said. “It’s a program that is built
Hosts Morocco on Friday were held to a 1-1 draw by Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations, ending their world record run of wins and leaving them still to make sure of progress to the next stage. Midfielder Brahim Diaz tucked away a penalty in stoppage-time at the end of the first half, but Mali equalized from the spot midway through the second half through Lassine Sinayoko. Both penalties were awarded after video reviews in a tempestuous clash at the end of a busy day of action at the tournament. Morocco were atop the Group A standings with four points, while Zambia,
An astounding 20 wickets fell on a frantic first day of the fourth Ashes Test yesterday, with Australia all out for 152 before storming back to dismiss England for 110 and leave the clash on a knife-edge. England skipper Ben Stokes won a key toss on a green track and his quicks feasted after sending in the hosts under overcast skies in front of 94,199 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It was the biggest cricket crowd ever at the cavernous arena, exceeding the 93,013 who watched the 2015 World Cup final, and they witnessed the home side collapse with Josh Tongue
RSS