Brazilian athletes cop top prizes
By Isaiah Chappelle
Guyana Chronicle
October 20, 2003
BRAZILIAN athletes ran away with the top prizes of the first race of the South American 10-kilometre Road Classic yesterday.
Romalo Da Silva took the Men’s International category while Selma Dos Reis claimed the Women’s, her second win in Guyana, having carted off the 1997 South American Half Marathon, staged during the Amateur Athletic Association’s fifth anniversary celebrations.
Da Silva finished the race in 30:31 minutes, followed by Pomenos Ballantyne of St Vincent & the Grenadines (30:51), Elnilson Da Silva of Brazil (31:02) and Cleveland Forde (31:13), the first Guyanese.
Forde was presented with $25 000 from president of the Guyana Olympic Association, K. Juman-Yassin, who made an impromptu decision to award the prize for the young athlete’s outstanding performance.
The second Guyanese to finish was Lionel D’Andrade in 33:47 minutes and eighth overall, followed by Colin Mercurius, ninth overall and Kelvin Johnson tenth overall.
On the distaff side, Dos Reis finished 14tth overall, clocking 37:14 minutes, followed by countrywoman Marlene Fortunato (37:15) and Yolanda Fernandez (37:39) of Colombia.
The first Guyanese female athlete to run in was young Delcie Dick who finished 22nd overall in 38:46 minutes, an improvement on her YMCA 10 km, last week when she did 38:50. She beat rival Jennifer Chichester who finished 34th overall in 41:52 minutes.
Some 123 athletes started the race from in front the Thomas Lands YMCA on Thomas Road, running west to turn north into Camp Road, proceeding east along the Seawall Road onto the East Coast Demerara public road, turning around at Pattenson and heading back west, entering Vlissengen and running south to turn west into Thomas Road to finish by Queen’s College northern entrance.
On Camp Road the athletes jostled for position, but along the seawall road, a front bunch was clearly moving ahead. By the time they passed the Russian Embassy, five athletes formed a leading bunch.
At the turnaround, one dropped from the front bunch, leaving the two Da Silvas, Ballantyne and Forde.
Then just past Sheriff Street, Romalo Da Silva launched an attack and moved steadily ahead, with Elnilson in second and Ballantyne third. Forde dropped back significantly. But the three had about a ten-metre gap between the positions as they raced along Vlissengen Road.
Romalo Da Silva was clearly ahead by as much as 30 metres. Then Ballantyne attacked Elnilson Da Silva while taking the turn into Thomas Road, and raced into second position.
There was a bad patch from Albert Street to the Guyana Sports Club ground and Ballantyne chose to keep to the left of the road.
However, Romalo Da Silva seemed not to be affected by the bad patch, selecting a route in which he seemed not to lose momentum.
Chronicle Sport later learnt that the Brazilian athlete went through the course and that particular patch a few times, thus he was well prepared.
The Boys’ Under-20 first place was taken by Cleveland Thomas of Silver Fox, who was 19th overall, second was Cleon Leacock of Belladrum Secondary and third Darwin Eastman of Police.
Belladrum Secondary athletes dominated the Under-17 category, with Teon Roberts claiming the Boys’ first place, finishing 21st overall, with schoolmate Carl Fraser second and Quintyn Boucher (Royal Youth Movement) third.
The Girls’ Under-17 first place went to Colliann Robertson, second Donna Abrams of New Amsterdam and third Annauta Fordyce of Belladrum Secondary.
Joel Morrison of New Campbellvile Secondary won the Boys’ Under-15 category, with Anthony Bowman (Road Runners) second and Michael Gordon (Belladrum Secondary) third, while Alika Morgan (Rising Stars) was first for the Girls, Lianna Doris (Dora Secondary) and Carlisa Shabazz (Road Runners) third.
New Campbellville Secondary was awarded a prize donated by L. Seepersaud for having the most athletes to finish the race.
Race Two will be staged in Paramaribo, Suriname, under CONSUDATLE and sanctioned by the IAAF, the world governing body.