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U.S. contingent piles up medals, defends team selection

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Posted: Friday August 06, 1999 11:51 PM

Gerald Tucker's (right) punch lands him a one-sided victory and a gold medal for the U.S. AP

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) -- As the United States piled up more medals Friday, including a gold by boxer Gerald Tucker, U.S. team officials defended the selection process for the Pan American Games.

USOC executive director Richard Schultz said the games have been run well, calling it a "gold medal performance" by the Winnipeg organizers. He also took exception to suggestions the United States did not bring its best athletes to these games.

"We've accomplished a lot of things here," Schultz said. "We've seen the media sometimes refer to the U.S. bringing their B team. That's not correct. We brought a good combination of athletes here."

One of them was Tucker, 20, who easily won the bantamweight title, outpointing Neouar Cermeno of Venezuela 15-3. He was as surprised as anyone the score was so one-sided against his taller opponent.

"I had my hands up, but I was like running into a lot of shots. I don't know if it was knocking my head back or not. But I know I was feeling punches in there, more than three. So I didn't think it was lopsided," Tucker said.

Middleweight Arthur Palac of Hamtramck, Mich., lost to Yohason Martinez in the middleweight division as Cuba won the other five golds.

The U.S. men's basketball team moved into the final against Brazil by defeating Argentina 84-76. Brazil took Puerto Rico 95-85.

Travis Williams scored 19 points to lead the Americans, who will try to give the United States it first Pan Ams championship since 1983.

American Kaitlin Sandeno, winner of the women's 400-meter freestyle, added the 800 in a Pan Ams record 8 minutes, 34.65 seconds.

The victorious women's 400 medley relay team of Denali Knapp, 100 breaststroke champion Staciana Stitts, 100 butterfly gold medalist Karen Campbell and Tammie Spatz set a Pan Ams record of 4:06.08.

Joanne Malar of Canada got her second gold. The winner of the women's 400 individual medley this time took the 200 IM with a second games record, 2:14.18.

Fernando Scherer, the men's 100 freestyle champion, won the 50 freestyle and gave the Brazilians a sweep of the four men's freestyle races.

After 26 events, the United States has only seven golds, its worst showing in Pan Ams swimming. The men failed to medal in the 50-meter freestyle for the first time ever.

A 2-1 victory over Canada gave the U.S. men the soccer bronze medal.

Schultz said the games showcased well-known veteran athletes such as softball star Dot Richardson and up-and-comers such as 19-year-swimmer Ed Moses, who won the gold medal and set a Pan Ams record in the 100-meter breaststroke.

As Friday's competition began, the United States had won 235 medals, 87 gold. Schultz said that was on par or slightly better than the U.S. performance at the 1995 Pan Ams in Mar Del Plata, Argentina, where there were 99 more medal events.

Four Americans have won three medals: Kathy Colin in canoe/kayak, Marty Nothstein in cycling, Chad Hedrick in roller skating and swimmer Scott Tucker. Nothstein won three golds.

"We're happy with the success of our athletes," said Herman Frazier, chief of the U.S. delegation. "There's some things that have been said about the athletes we brought here. We brought athletes who wanted to compete on the international level and who wanted to win on the international level. Our results speak for that."

Schultz singled out the performance of the baseball team, a collection of minor leaguers who earned a berth for the United States in the 2000 Olympics by reaching the gold medal game against Cuba.

"When you stop to think that the International Baseball Federation only takes two baseball teams from the Americas, that's really a challenge," Schultz said. "Because probably three or four of the best baseball teams in the world are in the Americas.

Lea Foreman, of Denmark, Wis., lifted 215 kilograms (474 pounds) to take the 69-kilo (152-pound) class. It was the third U.S. gold in the games for a woman weightlifter; Robin Byrd Goad earlier won the 53-kilo class. Tara Nott won in 48 kilos.

Denise Parker of Salt Lake City, the leading qualifier, took her 11th Pan Ams medal with a bronze in archery.

Canada, the only team to beat the United States in the round-robin of men's softball, did it again, 2-1 in the medals round. If the Americans can beat Cuba on Saturday, they get another shot at Canada for the gold.

 

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