Brazilians triumph again in South American 10km
… Forde and Dick again fourth
Guyana Chronicle
October 27, 2003
(From Leeron Brumell in Suriname)
In Association with C. Persaud, Dental Technician and Goldsmith
FOR the second time within a week Brazilian Romalo Da Silva and Selma Dos Reis captured the top spots in the South American 10km Classic, while Guyanese Cleveland Forde and Delcie Dick again placed fourth, this time in race two, staged in Suriname on Saturday.
Da Silva and Dos Reis claimed yet another top prize of US$1,000 as they romped home to comfortable victories in the Andre Kamperveen Stadium.
Da Silva bettered his time in the first leg in Guyana by nine seconds, clocking 30:22 on the course that took him in and around the city to come out well clear of the second place finisher Elenilson Da Silva also of Brazil, who had finished third to Pamenos Ballantyne in Guyana.
Emigdio Delgado of Venezuela came in third for Venezuela, while Guyanese Cleveland Forde came in a close fourth after being dropped earlier in the race due to the pace of the lead pack.
When the race started, the Suriname team of Jermain Elskamp and Radjinder Patan raced to the front of the 68 athletes that started the race and held on the lead for less than two kilometres when the Da Silvas, Delgado, Forde and Guyanese Lionel D’Andrade left them behind.
After the first kilometre, Romalo Da Silva increased his pace to open a 100-metre lead on Elenilson Da Silva, then completely dominated the remainder of the race.
Romalo Da Silva was all alone as he entered the home stretch to the stadium and the rest became history as the few Surinamese in the stadium cheered him on with shouts, applause and whistles.
Elskamp was the first Surinamese to enter the stadium and he finished fifth with teammate Patan sixth and D’Andrade seventh in a time of 35:57.
On the distaff side, Dos Reis was first with teammate Marlene Fortunato second, the same way they ended in Guyana one just behind the other, while Yolanda Fernandez of Columbia ran in third.
Guyanese Dick, who had arrived only a day before the race placed fourth in a time of 42:01 minutes, at least four minutes over her time in Guyana of 38:38.
The course was closed after one hour had elapsed with some 43 competitors who comprised a number of veterans ending. Only four juniors had registered for the event.
It was the first time that Suriname had hosted such an event, evidently working hard to pull it off.
Ronald Phoelsingh, representative of the Ministry of Education made the opening remarks and started the race. President of the Suriname Athletics Bond (SAB) Lucia Sijp also spoke.
The third leg is billed for Panama on November 9.