Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor - Sport
Smith ... I just have to stay focused and hopefully injury-free. - File
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:
National record holder Maurice Smith appears poised to win Jamaica's first gold medal at the XV Pan American Games after day one of the decathlon.
At half way in the gruelling multi-discipline event, the 2006 Common-wealth Games silver medallist was ahead by nine points over Brazil's Carlos Chinin.
He led with 4,370 and was followed by Chinin on 4,361. Cuba's Yordan Garcia is next on 4,192.
Smith sent a clear signal to his 11 rivals late in the day when he finished strongly with the leading time, 47.99 seconds, in the 400m. Earlier he had done 10.84 for second overall in the 100m, 7.27m for third in long jump, a 16.93m first in the shot put and a 1.97m eighth in high jump.
A clear false start in the 100m was not called and it almost ruined his day.
"I thought the 100m would have been called back, so I did not run as well as I could. But I had to put that behind me as I had four more events to concentrate on. I had a pretty decent jump in the long jump and I was pleased with my shot put.
"In the high jump, however, a knee problem prevented me from jumping off my regular left leg. I had to switch sides and leap from my right leg.
"I have got two really strong events coming up tomorrow, the hurdles and discus. Hopefully I could just go all out in those two events. I think I will be able to pull off a win. I just have to stay focused and hopefully injury-free."
FINALISTS
Four other Jamaicans reached finals after yesterday's first day on the track at the Joao Havelange Stadium. Tracy-Ann Rowe will run in this evening's women's 100m final after placing fourth in semi-final two in 11.44 seconds behind winner, Chandra Sturrup of Bahamas who clocked a season-best 11.18 to pip American Mechelle Lewis. Lewis was awarded the same time.
Peta-Gaye Dowdie missed out despite running a faster time than Rowe. She was fifth in semi-final one in 11.43 as American Mikele Barber won in 11.18.
Jamaica's pair of Nickiesha Wilson and Shevon Stoddart are both in tomorrow's women's 400m hurdles final.
Wilson crossed the line in 56.44 seconds in semi-final one behind American Nicole Leach who won in 55.77. Stoddart, 56.40, was second to another American, Sheena Johnson (55.55), in the second semi-final.
In the women's 800 metres semi-finals, 26-year-old Ysanne Williams who has previously represented the United States at the Junior Pan American level, advanced to today's final after placing fourth in the second of two semi-finals. Williams clocked 2:02.49 in the heat won in a personal best 2:01.28 by Brazil's Josiane Tito. The other semi-final went to Canada's Diane Cummings in 2:02.80.
GREEN ADVANCE
Leford Green advanced to the semi-finals of the men's 400m, but Edwino Steele was eliminated. Green placed third in 45.89 in the fourth of four heats. The heat went to 2001 world champion Avard Moncur of Bahamas in 45.27.
Steele looked a very tired man after the second heat. He had reason to be. The Jamaican 400m runner had only arrived in the Games Village some time past midnight yesterday. He placed fourth in heat two in 47.12, well outside his season and personal best of 45.77.
In the women's hammer final, Jamaica's Nicky Grant was 15th of the 16 throwers. She threw 53.91m in her first attempt and had failures in her next two throws. Cuba's Yipsi Moreno won with a Games record 75.20m, beating the 74.25m she set in 2003.
Jamaica will not be represented in the men's 100m final today. In the semi-finals last night, Xavier Brown placed eighth in 10.61.
Jason Livermore did not get past the heats as he clocked 10.86 in finishing seventh. Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles won Brown's semi-final in a Games record-equalling time of 10.06.
Jamaica had a bad day in other sports. Boxer Nicholas Walters was outclassed 18-1 by Cuba's Idel Torriente in the quarter-finals of the featherweight division.
Today, welterweight Ricardo Smith will attempt to improve on the bronze medal he earned in a walk-over on Sunday when he faces the dangerous Pedro Lima of Brazil.
WOMEN'S DOWNFALL
The women's basketball team finished sixth in the eight-team tournament yesterday after they were beaten 73-61 by Argentina.
Turnovers proved again to be the downfall of the women as again they were the leaders in rebounds.
They had 24 turnovers to 13 for the winners, but out-rebounded Argentina 50-29.Vanessa Gidden, who had a very good tournament, scored a game-high 29 points. Marcela Paoletta led the way for the winners with 23 points.
Tennis players Dominic Pagon and Eldad Campbell bowed into action yesterday and both were beaten in men's singles.
This came as no surprise as the tournament is being played on clay, a surface on which the Jamaicans have little experience.
Pagon fought very hard, but lost 6-4, 6-3 in 95 minutes to Guatemala's Sebastian Vidal. Campbell was beaten 6-3, 6-1 by Dominican Republic's Victor Estrellain 75 minutes. The two will compete in the doubles later this week.
