By Steve Keating
SANTIAGO Chileans celebrated one of their biggest nights of the Pan American Games on Tuesday with Santiago Adolfo Ford claiming decathlon gold and the women's soccer team winning a 2-1 thriller over the U.S. to reach the final.
The crowds roared as flags waved and Ford was instantly hailed a national hero when he finished the gruelling two-day, 10-event competition, crossing fifth in the 1,500 metres to give him a winning total of 7,834 points and the gold, holding off Brazilian Jose Fernando Ferreira by 86 points.
The Ryan Talbot of the U.S. completed the podium taking the bronze.
Whether the Olympics or Pan American Games, the decathlon title is one of the most coveted and respected in all of athletics, Ford taking ownership of the crown won by Canada's Tokyo Olympic champion Damian Warner at the last two Pan Ams in Toronto and Lima.
There was no less excitement two hours away in Vina del Mar at Estadio Sausalito as Chile got first-half goals from Karen Araya and Yanara Aedo and then held on to beat the U.S. and set up a meeting with Mexico in Friday's gold match.
Ford's victory took the spotlight away from what is usually the athletics glamour event, the 100m, which saw the Dominican Republic's Jose Alnardo Gonzalez take the men's title in 10.30 seconds and Cuba's Yunisleidy de la Caridad Garcia the women's sprint in 11.36.
In other events, the Kasey Knevelbaard of the U.S. came home just .33 seconds ahead of Canada's Charles Philibert-Thiboutot to win the men's 5,000m in 14:47.69 while Colombia's Arnovis De Jesus Dalmero was winner of the men's long jump.
The judo competition closed with Cuba beating Brazil to win the mixed team title and the great Idalys Ortiz adding another gold to her glittering resume.
Ortiz, who made a bit of history on Monday winning the women's over-78 kg title for the fourth consecutive Games, something only her compatriot, Driulis Gonzalez, had done, put her name down as a member of the squad that captured the first ever Pan Am team event.
It was the perfect Pan Am Games goodbye for the 34-year-old four-times Olympic medallist, who has announced she will retire after next year's Paris Summer Games.
Cuba and Brazil dominated the judo competition scooping up 13 of the 15 gold medals.
Brazil led with seven while Cuba took six with Canada and Venezuela the only other countries to put athletes on the top of the podium.
Fencing was an all-American battle on Tuesday with Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Nick Itkin and Magda Skarbonkiewicz taking gold.
Itkin romped to a 15-6 win over team mate Miles Chamley Watson in the men's foil while Skarbonkiewicz edged Maia Chamberlain 15-13 to take top spot in the women's sabre.
In table tennis, Amy Wang and Rachel Sung of the U.S. were 4-3 winners over Brazil's Giulia and Bruna Takahashi in the women's doubles final while the Cuban duo of Jorge Campos and Andy Diez won the men's title downing Brazil's Hugo Calerano and Vitor Ishiy 4-2.
The U.S. continues to top the medal table with 76 gold while it closes in on 200 total medals with 178.
The battle behind the Americans is a close one with Brazil second on 37 gold and 130 overall medals followed by Canada (35/106) and Mexico (35/90).
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Santiago; Editing by Robert Birsel)