07 Dec 2011
Mexico dominates rowing at Central American and Caribbean Games
The rowing regatta took place over four days with sunny, warm conditions and favourable rowing especially on finals day. In the women’s single Mexico’s Analicia Ramirez beat Olympian Camila Vargas of El Salvador with Kimberly Meneses of Venezuela coming in third.
Winner of the single, Ramirez took a second gold in the lightweight women’s double partnering up with Lila Perez. Vargas went on to race in the open women’s double with Carolina Figueroa, and together they took silver, finishing behind Mexico.
Coming in third in the women’s double, host nation Puerto Rico earned their only medal with sisters, Rebeca and Cristina Felix teaming up. The bronze came after a close fought battle to the line with Guatemala. Older sister Cristina currently rows and studies in the United States at the University of Michigan. Both Cristina and Rebeca have competed for the United States, Cristina at the junior and under 23 level and Rebeca at the junior level. The sisters come from a rowing family as their father competed at both the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games.
Olympian Patrick Loliger of Mexico won the men’s single ahead of Jose Guipe of Venezuela who regularly races internationally in the lightweight class. Herman Garcia of Guatemala was third. Garcia took a second medal, this time silver, when he raced with Franco Guaglianone in the lightweight men’s double. Mexico finished first. Guipe further raced in the open men’s double with Cesar Fernandez and the duo took silver behind Mexico’s Jamie Cuevas and Leopoldo Tejada.
Guipe went on to be the sole gold medal not won by Mexico when he finished first in the lightweight men’s single. Guipe got to the line first after a tight battle with Alan Armenta of Mexico. Finishing third, Garcia earned his third medal at these Games.
In other results Mexico’s Lila Perez won a very close race against Marta Figueroa of El Salvador in the lightweight women’s single. The women’s quad, lightweight men’s four and lightweight men’s double were all won by Mexico.
The Games, which are held every four years, attracted 10 countries to the rowing regatta: Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela, Honduras and El Salvador. This was the first time competing for both Costa Rica and Nicaragua. At present rowers from these countries train in El Salvador.
Eduardo Palomo, FISA’s continental representative noted that Lake Cerrillos, a manmade lake situated 15 minutes from Ponce is, “one of the most spectacular venues that I have ever visited in my life.” Palomo paid tribute to Dr David Bernier, president of the Puerto Rico National Organising Committee for his work to bring the rowing regatta to Puerto Rico.
“We had the opportunity to bring back families that have grown up without rowing one of them Dr Juan Felix whose daughters gave Puerto Rico their bronze medal and Ismael Herrero whose entire family volunteered in the organisation,” said Palomo.
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