Cuba, U.S. share gold medals at Pan-American Games
By Brian Homewood
Guyana Chronicle
August 4, 2003
SANTO DOMINGO (Reuters) - Cuba and the United States shared the gold medals between them on the opening day of the Pan-American Games Saturday.
Brazil, meanwhile, received an apology from the Dominican Republic's president after a flag containing "dreadful mistakes" was used in the opening ceremony.
Mexico, under senior national team coach Ricardo Lavolpe, were held to an embarrassing 1-1 draw by Guatemala in the soccer and Argentina smashed an astonishing 30 goals past the Dominican Republic in the men's hockey.
After months of worrying whether the host nation would finish all the venues in time and domestic controversy about the cost of staging the event, the Games finally began with Cuba taking the first gold.
Eglis Cruz won the women's 10-metre air rifle in the shooting, one of eight sports, which are being used as qualifying contests for next year's Olympics, with a Games record of 497.4 points.
"This is for Cuba," the tearful 22-year-old told reporters.
The next four gold went to the U.S. -- two in the fencing, where Dan Kellner won the men's individual foil and Sada Jacobson the women's individual sabre, one in the women's team gymnastics and another in shooting as Jason Turner took the men's 10-metre air pistol.
FURIOUS BRAZIL
Cuba took the day's last remaining gold by winning the men's team gymnastics ahead of Brazil and the U.S.
The day started on a sour note as Brazil's furious delegation protested about the flag behind which their athletes paraded during Friday night's opening ceremony.
Delegation chief Marcus Vinicius Freire criticised the "disrespectful manner in which the Brazilian flag was treated by COPAN (the local organising committee).
"This organisation did not bother checking the Brazilian flag, allowing it to be made with dreadful mistakes," he added in a letter addressed to COPAN president Jose Joaquin Puello.
The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) said later they had received an apology from Dominican Republic President Hipolito Mejia.
Pan-American Sports Organisation (ODEPA) president Mario Vazquez Rana shrugged off the jeers he received while making a speech during Friday night's festivities.
Rana, whose criticism over delays in preparations of the Games upset many Dominicans, said the jeering "was part of life".
"Sometimes it makes me happy when they jeer me because I learn something," he told reporters.
Back on the sports field, the host nation's fledgling men's hockey team were thrashed 30-0 by Argentina.
Jorge Lombi led the charge with nine goals while Matias Vila and Jorge Esraris helped themselves to four apiece.
In the soccer, Mexico needed a controversial penalty from Diego Martinez to scrape a 1-1 draw with underdogs Guatemala, who had gone ahead through Fredy Thompson at the start of the second half.
"Everyone had doubts about the penalty, it didn't look like a foul to me at all," said Guatemala's Mexican coach Victor Aguado
