2000 Olympic Countdown Begins at Pan Am Games

Nearly everyone who stands on the medals podium at the Pan American Games will be thinking about another place and another event: Sydney, Australia, and the 2000 Olympics.

The countdown to Sydney begins for many U.S. athletes at the Pan Ams during the next three weeks. The Americans are expected to dominate the medals race and will be especially focused on 10 sports whose results have a bearing on qualifying for the Summer Games.

“This is a big event,” says U.S. women’s basketball coach Nell Fortner, who guided the Americans to the 1998 world championship. “There will be some tremendous competition there and it will be a good opportunity . . . to compete at a very high level.”

The highest level of competition figures to come in boxing, where Cuba, as usual, will be heavily favored, and track and field. Despite lucrative track meets in Europe, some top-level runners and jumpers will be in Winnipeg for the games, which begin Friday.

The United States is sending Kevin Little, the world indoor 200 champion; Johnny Gray, the American record-holder in the 800; Lance Deal, the U.S. record-holder and champion in the hammer throw; and Jeff Hartwig, the U.S. record-holder and champion in the pole vault.

Among the women stars will be Dawn Ellerbe, U.S. record-holder and champion in the hammer throw; Shelia Burrell, U.S. champion in the heptathlon; Sandra Glover, U.S. champion in the 400 hurdles; and Connie Price-Smith, 10-time U.S. champion in the shot put.

Cuban jumpers Javier Sotomayor and Ivan Pedroso are entered. So is 1996 Olympic 20-kilometer walk champion Jefferson Perez of Ecuador. Latin American teams also have sent strong contingents in the distance runs, particularly the marathon.

Cuba should be the main challenger to the United States in the medals standings. Traditionally strong in boxing, track, weightlifting and baseball, the Cubans always take this event very seriously.

“The goal is to keep the second place that we won in Mar del Plata (1995),” says Angel Iglesias, Cuba’s director of high performance sports.

Six Pan Am gold medalists are expected on the Cuban boxing squad, led by Ariel Hernandez and Enrique Carrion, considered the best amateurs in the world. The women’s volleyball team is ranked No. 1. And, of course, baseball is a passion in Cuba.

“Cuba can beat any baseball team in the world,” says Alfonso Urquiola, who managed the Camden Yards victory over the Orioles in an exhibition game this year.

With Cuba so strong in the U.S. national pastime, it puts extra pressure on the Americans to at least get a silver medal. The top two teams in Winnipeg qualify for Sydney; imagine an Olympics with no U.S. baseball team.

But it could happen. The American team is made up of minor leaguers, and not all of them are top prospects after several players turned down invitations.

“I’ve been a little disappointed in a couple of younger guys that don’t feel this is good enough for them,” manager Buddy Bell says. “To have the chance to qualify your country for the Olympics and think that’s not good enough--that’s perplexing and unacceptable to me.”

Other American teams aren’t much stronger. The men’s basketball roster is comprised of CBA players. Four years ago, a similar team lost to one-dimensional Argentina, which did nothing but bomb away from 3-point range.

Fortner’s women’s team will be favored, but barely. It, too, doesn’t have the best America has to offer. Gymnastics and tennis haven’t drawn likely Olympians, either.

But two-time world champion Terry Brand headlines the freestyle wrestling team that also includes 1997 world champion Les Gutches. Wrestling is one of 10 sports holding Olympics qualifiers for Americans.

In addition to baseball, the others with direct Olympic implications are softball, where the U.S. team is an overwhelming choice; men’s water polo; men’s and women’s team handball; men’s and women’s field hockey; equestrian; rhythmic gymnastics; triathlon; and badminton.

Oh, yes, women’s soccer makes its debut at the Pan Ams. Brandi, Briana and Mia won’t be on hand, but the future stars of the sport that has grabbed headlines this summer will be. After all, for the vast majority of athletes, the Pan American Games are a starting point.