U.S. go 1-2 in the men’s discus and 3,000m steeplechase at 2007 Pan Am Games
By Vicky Oddi, USATF
Posted Monday, 30 July, 2007
RIO DE JANEIRO - Michael Robertson and Adam Kuehl picked up the gold and silver medals in the men's discus while Josh McAdams and Michael Spence dominated the men's 3,000 meter steeplechase winning gold and silver Saturday night at the 2007 Pan American Games at Joao Havelange Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Despite the dreary weather, a large boisterous crowd filled the stadium for the final night of action at the track.
The reigning U.S. champion, Robertson (Beebe, Ark.) won the men's discus on his first throw with a mark of 59.24 meters/196 feet 0 inches. Adam Kuehl (Trinton Falls, N.J.) took home the silver with his third throw of 57.50m/188-8.
On his fifth throw of the night, 2007 U.S. runner-up Mike Hazle (Temple, Texas) moved into second place in the men's javelin with a heave of 75.33m/247-1. That mark was good enough to earn him the silver medal. Justin St. Clair (Tacoma, Wash.) finished seventh with 68.48m/224-8.
In the final of the men's 3,000m steeplechase, 2007 World Cross Country team member Michael Spence (East Stroudsburg, Penn.) took off in the lead for the first 1,000m before switching off with 2007 U.S. champion Josh McAdams (Broadview Heights, Ohio), who took the next 1,000m. Spence went back to into the lead with 1,000m to go. McAdams surged at the 200m mark and held on to win the gold in 8 minutes 30.49 seconds. Spence won silver in 8:32.11.
David Payne (Cincinnati, Ohio) shot out of the blocks in the men's 110m hurdle final, crossing the line in 13.43 to earn the silver medal. Tuesday's long jump bronze medalist Bashir Ramzy (Dallas, Texas) took seventh in 14.09.
The women's 4x100-meter relay of Shareese Woods (Fort Lee, Va.), Mechelle Lewis (Fort Washignton, Md.), Alexis Weatherspoon (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) and Miki Barber (Montclair, N.J.) brought home the silver medal, getting the baton around the track in 43.62. After a fumbled handoff between Weatherspoon and Barber which saw Barber take the baton well off the lead, Barber was able to surge and come back to place second.
On the men's side, J-Mee Samuels (Winston-Salem, N.C.), Rae Edwards (Kansas City, Kan.), Rubin Williams (San Jose, Calif.) and Darvis Patton (Dallas, Texas) won the bronze medal in 38.88.
Debbie Dunn (Capitol Height,Md.) ran the lead off leg in the women's 4x400m relay handing the baton off to Angel Perkins (Cerritos, Calif.) in second place. Perkins handed off to Latonia Wilson (Amite, La.) who moved in to the lead and handed off to anchor Nicole Leach (Philadelphia, Penn.). Leach went out strong but was unable to hold on as Pan Am 400m bronze medalist Indira Terrero of Cuba and three-time Pan Am gold medalist Ana Guevara of Mexico surged to take first and second. Leach crossed the line in third in 3:27.84.
In the men's 4x400m, Greg Nixon (Mesa, Ariz.) ran the lead off, handing off to Jamaal Torrance (Orlando, Fla.). Torrance then passed to Friday's 400m hurdle silver medalist LaRon Bennett (Athens, Ga.). Bennett handed off to David Neville (Bloomington, Ind.) in fourth place and Neville chased down the field to win the silver in 3:02.44.
Two-time Olympian Philip Dunn (Portland, Ore.) finished eight in the men's 50km race walk in 4:16:47 while 2004 Olympian Kevin Eastler (Farmington, Maine) was disqualified with three strikes for a bent knee. In the women's 3,000m steeplechase, Desiraye Osburn-Speer (Kechi, Kan.) placed fourth in 9:59.11 and 2006 U.S. Outdoor runner-up Kristin Anderson (Richfield, Ohio) was fifth in 10:08.67. 2007 U.S. Outdoor runner-up Lawrence Willis (Lafayette, La.) placed fifth with a mark of 16.72m/54-10.25. Weather marred the men's pole vault final, which saw 2004 Olympian Derek Miles (Sioux City, Iowa) and Jeremy Scott (Norfolk, Neb.) no height.
For more information and complete results from the 2007 Pan American Games, visit www.rio2007.org.br.
ATHLETE QUOTES
Michael Robertson (Beebe, Ark.), Men's Discus gold medalist
"I won. Fifty-nine in the rain, so it was good. The disc was wet and was sliding from my hands. But the resulted ended up being good.'"
Josh McAdams (Broadview Heights, Ohio), Men's 3,000m Steeplechase gold medalist
"That was our plan. Mike took the first k, I took the second. It was perfect."
Michael Spence (Ogden, Utah), Men's 3,000m Steeplechase silver medalist
"It was nice. I felt light and smooth until 200 to go when I hit a barrier."
Mike Hazle (Temple, Texas), Men's Javelin silver medalist
"I got second, but I didn't throw far enough to go to Worlds so it's kinda bittersweet. In these conditions you can expect to throw five to seven meters less. I wish the weather would've been better."
David Payne (Cincinnati, Ohio.), Men's 110m Hurdles silver medalist
"It was a bad race. I got left in the blocks and my turnover was slow. I mean I'm happy, but I didn't come here to get silver."
Adam Kuehl (Trinton Falls, N.J.), Men's Discus silver medalist
"We did good. I ran out of dry towels though. The biggest thing was just to come out and compete. Everybody was affected by the weather, so you just had to do the best you could."
Miki Barber (Fort Washington, Md.), Women's 4x100m silver medalist (anchor)
"It's alright. We tried our best. We had a bad handoff, but we're happy."
Jamaal Torrance (Orlando, Fla.), Men's 4x400m Relay silver medalist (second leg)
"It could've been better. I could've passed those guys."
LaRon Bennett (Athens, Ga.), Men's 4x400m Relay silver medalist (third leg)
"I got boxed in. Can't complain though. I'm blessed. This is amazing. I feel like I'm in a dream right now."
Darvis Patton (Dallas, Texas), Men's 4x100m bronze medalist (anchor)
"It was alright. Could've been better. We [USA] have a tradition of winning relays when we get the baton around the track. Brazil ran great. Canada ran great. We just couldn't catch them today."
Nicole Leach (West Philadelphia, Pa.) Women's 4x400m bronze medalist (anchor)
"Today wasn't the day for us. We didn't show up. You can't win them all."
Jeremy Scott (Norfolk, Neb.), Men's Pole Vault
"I couldn't hang on to the pole."
Bashir Ramzy (Dallas, Texas), Men's 110m Hurdles
"I was running and my legs weren't."
Kristin Anderson (Richfield, Ohio), Women's 3,000m Steeplechase
"I've steepled in worse [conditions.] I was ready in practice and after drills. It just wasn't there."
Lawrence Willis (Iota, Iowa), Men's Triple Jump
"This rain is horrible. This whole atmosphere is new to me, the crowd, another country, everything. It's just different."
RESULTS
Men's 110m Hurdles
1. Dayron Robles (CUB), 13.25
2. David Payne (Cincinnati, Ohio), 13.43
3. Yoel Hernandez (CUB)
7. Bashir Ramzy (Dallas, Texas), 14.09
Men's 800m
1. Yeimer Lopez (CUB), 1:44.58
2. Kleberson Davide (BRA), 1:45.47
3. Fabiano Pecanha (BRA), 1:45.54
Men's 3,000m Steeplechase
1. Josh McAdams (Broadview Heights, Ohio), 8:30.49
2. Michael Spence (Ogden, Utah), 8:32.11
3. Jose Alberto Sanchez (CUB), 8:36.07
Men's 50km Walk
1. Xavier Moreno (ECU), 3:52:07
2. Horacio Nava (MEX), 3:52:35
3. Omar Zepeda de Leon (MEX), 3:56:04
8. Philip Dunn (Portland, Ore.), 4:15:47
DQ: Kevin Eastler (Farmington, Maine)
Men's Javelin Throw
1. Guillermo Martinez (CUB), 77.66
2. Mike Hazle (Temple, Texas), 75.33
3. Alexon Maximiano (BRA), 75.04
7. Justin St. Clair (Tacoma, Wash.), 68.48
Men's Triple Jump
1. Jadel Gregorio (BRA), 17.27
2. Osniel Tosca (CUB), 16.92
3. Yoandris Betanzos (CUB), 16.90
6. Lawrence Willis (Iota, Iowa), 16.72
Men's Discus
1. Michael Robertson (Beebe, Ark.), 59.24
2. Adam Keuhl (Trinton Falls, N.J.), 57.50
3. Dariusz Slowik (CAN), 57.37
Men's Pole Vault
1. Fabio Silva (BRA), 5.40
2. Giovanni Lanaro (MEX), 5.30
3. German Chiaraviglio (ARG), 5.20
NM: Derek Miles (Sioux City, Iowa)
NM: Jeremy Scott (Norfolk, Neb.)
Men's 4x100m Relay
1. Brazil, 38.81
2. Canada, 38.87
3. United States of America, 38.88
Men's 4x400m Relay
1. Bahamas, 3:01.84
2. United States of America, 3:02.44
3. Dominican Republic, 3:02.48
Women's 3,000m Steeplechase
1. Sabine Heitling (BRA), 9:51.13
2. Talis Apud (MEX), 9:55.43
3. Zenaide Vieira (BRA), 9:55.71
4. Desiraye Osburn-Speer (Kechi, Kans.), 9:59.11
5. Kristin Anderson (Richfield, Ohio), 10:08.67
Women's 4x100m Relay
1. Jamaica, 43.58
2. United States of America, 43.62
3. Cuba, 43.80
Women's 4x400m Relay
1. Cuba, 3:27.51
2. Mexico, 3:27.75
3. United States of America, 3:27.84
Contact:
Vicky Oddi
Communications Coordinator
USA Track & Field
317-261-0500
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