Peters, Lewis seek to increase medal tally
By Michael DaSilva
Stabroek News
December 5, 2002
Track and field athlete Nyota Peters and featherweight boxer Paul Lewis, will be seeking to improve Guyana's medal standing at the Central American and Caribbean Games currently underway in El Salvador.
Peters will be in action today and tomorrow in the heptathlon event while Lewis will be fighting Colombian Likar Ramos tonight in a semi-final bout. Lewis is already assured of a bronze medal and should he get past Ramos, he will advance to the final where he will be assured of a silver.
The other semi-final which will also be contested tonight, pits together Elio Rojas of the Dominican Republic and Neomar Cermeno of Venezuela.
Up to yesterday, Guyana was 17th on the medals table having won one silver and five bronze medals, all through the efforts of the squash players.
The silver medal was won by Nicolette Fernandes and Luke Fraser who were beaten by a Mexican pair in the final of the mix doubles.
Fernandes also won a bronze in the women's individual competition and teamed up with Jillian Griffith-Lilico to win another bronze in the women's doubles, while Fraser and Maxim Weithers won a bronze medal in the men's doubles.
The local men's and women's teams won a bronze medal each in the team competition.
Mexico heads the medals table with 98 gold, 81 silver and 69 bronze, while Venezuela with 75 gold, 71 silver and 52 bronze is second and Colombia third with 46 gold, 45 silver and 40 bronze.
Jamaica with three gold, three silver and five bronze is listed eighth, while Trinidad and Tobago is listed 10th with three gold and three bronze.
To date, St. Lucia has won one gold medal, Antigua one silver, Barbados four bronze and Bahamas one bronze.
Peters will be contesting the 100m, high jump, shot-putt and 200M events today along with five other athletes, two are from the Dominican Republic, two from the host country El Salvador and one from Mexico.
The heptathlon 100M record of 12.64 seconds was set by Dionne Rose at the 1998 Games in Venezuela while Maria Sarria set a record of 19.36 metres for the shot-putt at the 1982 Cuban Games.
In 1978, Silvia Chivas set 23.01 seconds for the 200M at the Colombian Games.
The overall record score for the CAC Games is held by Magalys Garcia who registered 5903 points at the 1993 in Puerto Rico.
