Something to cheer about!

I heard a lot of cheering coming from my neighbor’s house last night but didn’t know what all the noise was about. Bau later proudly announced that Dominicans had won a gold medal in the Olympics as well as a silver medal. Lots of people are very, very excited about this!
Here’s an article from a local newspaper…..

DR1 Daily News -- Tuesday, 07 August 2012
http://www.dr1.com

 

Felix Sanchez again wins gold
It is the Dominican Republic's third gold medal in an Olympic Games.

Felix Sanchez, a 34-year old athlete who was born to Dominican parents in New York City and lived most of his life in California, chose to represent the Dominican Republic at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, but failed to qualify for the 400m hurdle finals. Four years later, he dominated his event, the 400-meter hurdles, and brought incredible joy to the country, winning gold at the Athens Games.

The nation was so grateful that the National Olympic Stadium in Santo Domingo was named after him.

Then came a series of injuries and personal losses that led to a poor showing at Beijing in 2008. Many said that his career was over, but Sanchez continued to train hard and compete on the international track scene. The Diamond League and other track meets were a series of ups and downs but he worked hard.

Yesterday, Monday 6 August in London, Felix Sanchez became a sporting immortal: He won the 400-meter hurdles at the XXX Olympic Games in London. He made the best time in the qualifying heat at 47.76. In the final, he led the field - including United States runner Angelo Taylor who won gold in the Olympics in 2000 and 2008 - to the finishing line in an emotional run, clocking up the exact same time he ran in Athens: 47.63 seconds.

To top off this victory, Sanchez became the oldest athlete to win a speed event in Olympic history at 34 years of age. He will be 35 on 30 August 2012.

The entire Dominican Republic shook with the shouts and cries of joy.

 
Less than an hour later, Luguelin Santos, on the other end of the age spectrum at 18, brought more precious metal to the Dominican Republic, coming in second in the 400-meter event. Luguelin, a homegrown athlete from Bayaguana in Monte Plata province, represents the future of Dominican track.

With these two medals, the Dominican Republic climbs to the 33rd place in the medal standings among the 204 countries taking part in the London Olympic Games.