Guyana's Marian Joan Burnett's 2003 Pan American bronze medal turned silver recently when the Pan American Sports Organis-ation (PASO) held its 62nd General Assembly in San Antonio, Texas, USA, last month.
According to the minutes of the General Assembly, PASO's executive Committee, after analysing the results of the doping-control test performed during the celebration of the XIV Pan American Games in Santo Domingo last year, adopted nine positive doping cases; among them being the winner of the women's 800-metre final Suriname's Letitia Vriesde who has been stripped of the gold medal, thus manifesting Burnett's fortune.
Burnett had placed third to Vriesde, but after the drug test was analysed in Montreal, Canada the Games organisers stripped Vriesde of her gold medal.
The world-ranked Vriesde was penalized for "pronounced traces of caffeine intake."
It now means that Burnett has the legitimate No.2 position behind new gold medal- ist Adriana Munoz of Cuba with Brazil's Christiane Ritz dos Santos getting the bronze.
The news was originally conveyed to Burnett by her teammate Aliann Pompey (400m bronze medalist) last year after the Guyana team was advised of the official action in the Spanish-speaking nation.
At the time, Burnett was preparing to checkout of a Miami hotel where she was forced to overnight after missing a connecting flight to Louisiana, through no fault of hers.
"Getting this news (silver medal award), lightens this episode of frustration," the national champion had said, adding that she was surprised by the turn of events, but more contented for Guyana's fortune.
However, it was only after PASO's General Assembly last month that the news was confirmed.
"It's rather unfortunate for Letitia, but I hope she'll be able to get over this. On the other hand, I am happy for the Guyanese people moving up with a silver and bronze from track, hopefully no body else is taking stuff."
Burnett had said that like Vriesde, she was also subjected to drug-testing applications at the Games, but was not worried about any adverse development, because..."I play by the rules."
"Look at me! I am a magnet for tests, just like that. I have had several tests for this year (2003)," she had declared.
She had indicated that she had victories over Vriesde in two races they shared last year in Croatia and Algeria.
The caffeine in Vriesde's system was at such a high level that it provoked the Games organiser president Mario Vasquez Rana into a withering attack. "She would have needed to drink gallons of coffee for that level of caffeine to be found in her body," he had remarked acidly then.
Vriesde who is based in the Netherlands and viewed as the top 800m runner representing countries in this hemisphere, is a multiple Olympics, World Cup of Athletics (WCP), World Championships, and Central American and Caribbean (CAC) finalist and medalist.
The38-year-old Surinamese is the South American record holder at 800m (1:56.68) and 1500m (4:05.67) and is the only female athlete from the continent to ever win IAAF World Championships medals - silver (1995) and bronze (2001).
Burnett is currently in training to make the two-minute flat `A' standard qualifying time for the Athens, Greece, Olympics.
Meanwhile, Guyana Olympic association president Juman Yassin is one of nine vocals to be elected from three Regional Groups to serve on the PASO executive.
Yassin was elected from Group three along with Nicole Hoevertsz of Aruba and Carlos Nuzman of Brazil.
And by a unanimous acclaim, Rana was returned as president of PASO, a position he has been holding since 1975.
Richard Peterkin of St. Lucia was proposed by the executive committee and re-elected treasurer, while Felipe Munoz Kapamas of Mexico was proposed by the executive and re-elected Secretary General.
The three vice-presidents are; Antonio Rodrigues (Argentia), Michael Fennel (Jamaica) and Jorge Nery Carvajat (Bolivia).