Grenada set sights on medals in Athletics at Pan American Games 2011

by Michael Bascombe

GUADALAJARA, Mexico, October 17, 2011 - Grenada’s hopes of medalling at the Pan American Games 2011 will now rest with athletics as both competitors in Swimming and Taekwondo failed to advance to the next round of their respective competitions.

Esau Simpson finished seventh in Heat 1 of the Men’s 100m Freestyle Preliminaries on Sunday while Andre St. Bernard lost in Bout 10 of the Women’s Under 67kg in the quarter-finals on Monday.

Simpson, swimming out of Lane 1, fell about six seconds off the winner, Brett Fraser of the Cayman Islands. Simpson, who finished 22^nd overall, clocked 54.73 seconds with 25.60 seconds for his first 50 metres.

World record holder Cesar Cielo of Brazil took the gold in a new personal record of 47.84 seconds, to better his previous best of 48.79 set in Rio de Janeiro four years ago. His world record stands at 46.91 seconds set in Italy in 2009.

In Taekwondo, St. Bernard was never a major threat to Carolina Acosta of Mexico and lost 11-2, all points earned by attack.

Acosta led 1-0 in the first quarter, 5-0 in the second and although St. Bernard fought back in the third quarter to score two points, Acosta added another five to tally 11.

St. Bernard is a bronze medallist at the 2008 Pan American Taekwondo Championships in Puerto Rico and also a second round contender at the 2008 Taekwondo World Cup in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Track and Field begin next week with Keron Toussaint (Men’s 400m) and Allison George (Women’s 100m) in competition next Monday (October 24). George will also compete in the Women’s 200m, while Kanika Beckles starts her campaign in the Women’s 400m on Tuesday (October 25) and Joel Redhead in the Men’s 200m on Wednesday (October 26).