Caribbean Sports News
published: Sunday | July 29, 2007

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - The quartet of Sherri-Ann Brooks, Tracy-Ann Rowe, Aleen Bailey and Peta-Gaye Dowdie won Jamaica's third gold medal at the 15th Pan American Games in miserable weather at the Joao Havalage Stadium on Saturday, July 28th.

This as Jamaica finished the track & field competition with seven medals - three gold and four silver - for a tally of 75 medals in the 56-year history of the games first staged in Buenos Aries, Argentina, in 1951.

Following a splendid start by 200 meters silver medalist Brooks and decent second and third legs by Rowe and team captain Bailey, Dowdie held off the fast-finishing Americans to land gold in the women's 4x100 metres in 43.58 seconds. It was only the third gold medal in the event for Jamaica, following triumphs at the 1991 and 1999 Games in Cuba and Canada, respectively.

Anchored by the fast-finishing 100 meters gold medalist Mikele Barber, USA took silver 0.04secs behind Jamaica with 43.62secs ahead of Cuba 43.800 for the bronze.

Void of a Jamaican presence, Brazil won the men's equivalent in 38.81secs ahead of Canada, 38.87, and the United States, 38.88secs. A bad change-over between third-leg runner Anastasia Leroy and Davita Prendergast literally cost Jamaica a medal in the women's mile-relay, as they finished fourth in 3 minutes 28.74secs.  Jamaica had been leading prior to the last change-over, following superb legs by Olympian Ronetta Smith and Shereefa Lloyd.  Cuba took the gold in 3 minutes 27.51secs, followed by Mexico in 3 minutes 27.75 (national record) and the United States, 3 minutes 27.84secs.

The men's team of Allodin Fothergill, Dwight Mullings, Edino Steele and Leeford Green returned 3 minutes 04.15secs for fifth, behind the Bahamas, who took gold in 3 minutes 01.94secs.  The USA were second with 3 minutes 02.44, ahead of the Dominican Republic in 3 minutes 02.48secs.

In cold and wet conditions, similar to those experienced at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Jason Morgan produced a sub-standard throw of 50.09 meters to finish 10th in the men's discus final.  That mark is 12.86 metres below his national record of 62.95m established on April 4, 2007. His compatriot Hickel Woolery finished one spot ahead of him in ninth with 50.51m.

Twenty-three-year-old Eric Keddo returned 13.91secs to finish sixth in the 110 metre hurdles final after posting 13.79secs in the semi-final.  Aldwyn Sappleton failed in his bid to become Jamaica's third 800 meter medalist in the history of these quadrennial games by posting 1 minute 47.14 seconds for sixth in the two lap sprint.  He produced his career best of 1 minute 46.84secs for second in Friday's semi-finals.

Jamaica had started Saturday's fifth and final day of track and field with two gold and four silver medals thanks to Maurice Smith, who tallied a new meet record of 8278 points to take gold in the Decathlon; Delloreen Ennis-London who clocked a meet record of 12.65seonds to win the 100-metre hurdles; Dorian Scott who posted 20.06 metres for silver in the Shot Put; Wilson, who returned a career best of 54.94 to take silver in the 400m hurdles, while Sherri-Ann Brooks and Marvin Anderson posted 22.92 and 20.38 to take silver in the women's and men's 200 meters, respectively. With only the Marathon to be completed Sunday, Jamaica lie sixth in the athletics standings in the medal table being led by Cuba with 30.

The Under-20 Reggae Boyz (silver) and welterweight boxer Ricardo Smith (bronze) secured Jamaica's two other medals, for a grand total of nine, at the 15th quadrennial continental games, which started on July 12.