Cuba dominates Pan Am athletics

[Bulldog]

Yeimer Lopez set a Pan American Games record in the 800m on Saturday, helping Cuba dominate track and field with a total of 12 gold medals.

Brazilians Fabiano Pecanha and Kleberson Davide were first and second for most of the race until Lopez blew by them on the final turn at the Joao Havelange stadium and won in 1 minute, 44.58 seconds. Davide finished second in 1:45.47 and Pecanha was third 1:45.54.

Lopez shattered the record of 1:45.05 set by Canada's Tadili Achraf at the 2003 games in Santo Domingo.

Cubans excelled in athletics, winning 30 total medals. The Brazilians finished second with eight golds and 22 overall medals. The US had six gold and 24 total.

The men's marathon was scheduled to be run yesterday.

Cuba's Dayron Robles won the men's 110m hurdles in 13.25 seconds, just 0.08 seconds off the Pan Am record set by Cuban Anier Garcia in 1999 in Winnipeg. David Payne of the US took silver and Cuba's Yoel Hernandez won bronze.

Cuba also was the surprise winner of the women's 1,600m relay. The US led for most of the last two legs, but Cuba's Indira Terrero streaked past Nicole Leach of the US in the home stretch to win gold in 3:37.51. Mexico grabbed silver with 3:27.75, while the US took bronze in 3:27.84.

Guillermo Martinez gave Cuba its fourth gold in the javelin, with a toss of 77.66m. US athlete Mike Hazle took silver with 75.33, and Brazil's Alexon Maximiano won bronze with 75.04.

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