SANTO DOMINGO, 17 August 2003 — Brazilian swimmer Fernando Scherer outshone Olympic champion Gary Hall on Friday to win the 50 meters freestyle and claim his seventh consecutive Pan American Games gold medal.
Brazil’s players pleaded for financial support after beating Canada 2-1 to win the women’s soccer while the men’s team blamed Jamaican referee Peter Prendergast after losing 1-0 to Argentina in their final.
Cuba predictably dominated the first day of boxing finals, winning four of the six golds. Scherer took swimming’s shortest race in 22.40 seconds, 2/100ths of a second ahead of Argentina’s Jose Meolans and 3/100ths clear of Hall, one of the few top US swimmers to grace the event.
Hall shared the 50 meters gold medal at the Sydney Olympics with compatriot Anthony Erwin after the pair pulled off a rare dead-heat. Scherer, who won one gold in Mar del Plata eight years ago, four more in Winnipeg in 1999 and another in the 4x100 meters freestyle relay earlier this week, said his sights were now on the Olympics next year.
“I’m preparing very hard and I intend to fight for a medal in Athens,” the 28-year-old told reporters. The US compensated by winning four of the five remaining swimming finals on Friday, Canada’s Joanne Malar interrupting their run with victory in the women’s 200 meters medley.
The American women’s team set a games record as they finished the 4x100 meters relay in four minutes 05.92 seconds and Michael Raab also set a games record in the 200 meters butterfly, clocking 1:57.33.
Peter Marshall won the 100 meters backstroke and Morgan Claire Hentzen the women’s 800 meters freestyle as the US made it 18 golds out of 26 in the swimming.
Eighteen-year-old substitute striker Cristiane, who earns around $43 a month from her club in Sao Paulo, scored the golden goal which gave Brazil victory over Canada in the women’s soccer.
A player nicknamed Formiga, meaning ant, had given Brazil a 43rd minute lead. Kristina Kriss equalized in the 66th minute. Brazil’s players, many of whom are unemployed, appealed for more support back home. “Women’s football needs help,” said Formiga. “We hope this medal will improve our situation.”
A 45th-minute goal by River Plate teenager Maximiliano Gomez earned Argentina their 1-0 triumph over Brazil in the men’s soccer, in which most countries fielded under-20 sides. Brazil claimed they should have had a penalty in the second half and also that a header by midfielder Dudu Cearense had crossed the line. The referee waved play on.
Cuba won the first four golds in the boxing, all on points, but their hopes of a clean sweep ended when Mexico’s Ramiro Goben outpointed Yoan Pablo Hernandez in the light heavyweight final and Jason Estrada (US) beat Michael Lopez Nunez (Cuba) in the super heavyweights.
The Cubans also suffered a shock straight-sets defeat by Venezuela in the men’s volleyball final as the South Americans claimed their first-ever gold in the sport. “This is history,” said Venezuela’s Thomas Ereu.
China Plan 5,000-Bed ‘Super-Hospital’ Olympics
Meanwhile, China plans to build a 5,000-bed “super-hospital” featuring the world’s brightest doctors and most advanced technology to meet the needs of the 2008 Summer Olympics, state media said yesterday.
