Sharp shooters add to American medal tally
16.10.11
GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Alert. Aim. Gold!
Daryl Szarenski, a three-time Olympian and associate of the U.S. Army's World Class Athlete Program, set a yoke of Pan American Games records Sunday and won the gold medal in the 10-meter air automatic.
"It's always fun to win," said Szarenski, who already holds the Pan Am record in the upcoming 50-meter piece. "You can't beat that."
Szarenski's gold, his second overall at the Pan Am Games after first delightful in 2003, started off another stellar day for the United States in Guadalajara.
Americans went 1-2 in two swimming events, and earned a sweet and a bronze in two others. The equestrian team added another gold in the yoke dressage, and Americans picked up a pair of bronze medals in taekwondo.
"To be a part of that get and add to that effort to be winners, that's just awesome," said Szarenski, a sergeant first merit on active duty in the Army who scored 583 points to set a tournament record in the qualifying round.
Source: The Associated Press
Golden boy: Leyva caps sharp gym worlds for US
16.10.11
TOKYO (AP) — Danell Leyva's equivalence bars routine was practically flawless, certainly the finest he'd ever done.
Now he had to wait to see if it would be good enough.
There were four gymnasts still to come Sunday, including all-around hero Kohei Uchimura. But the first brushed his backside against one of the rails, and the next two took hops, no puzzle how slight, on their landings.
"It was pretty crazy, to be honest," Leyva said. "I absolutely didn't think I was going to (win). Seeing everyone's score prosperous up, it was like another heartbeat I was able to get. Like OK, OK."
When Uchimura's legs wobbled on a handstand, Leyva's sensibility went into a full-blooded pound. The 19-year-old from Miami had a gold medal, the first by an American man at the exceptional championships since 2003.
"It's great to finish the way I did," Leyva said.
Capped a memorable world championships for the entire U.S. team, too. All-around champion Jordyn Wieber and Aly Raisman added bronzes Sunday to give the Americans seven medals, four of them gold. Only China won more, with 12, and the U.S. matched the Chinese gold for gold.
Source: The Associated Press