Pan Am Report - Controversial Swim Cap, Dancing Mishap

(ATR) A sponsor logo on a swimming cap almost costs Brazil a gold medal, a Cuban photographer defects to the U.S. and dance teams make a big splash at the Pan American Games.

In a venue named for a bank, Leonardo de Deus of Brazil was disqualified after winning the men’s 200-meter butterfly because a cap he wore with the logo of a commercial sponsor was in breach of PASO and COPAG rules. The rules only allow the name of the cap manufacturer.

De Deus was in tears, but about 20 minutes later the ruling was overturned on appeal and he was allowed to keep the gold. The whole incident had Brazilian fans lighting up "Twitter."

"Justice was done," De Deus told reporters. "I touched first. It would be hard to win it but then have it taken away from you because of a mistake by the organizers."

It is the responsibility of the athlete to have the correct apparel. De Deus claimed no flags were raised when he went through the standard uniform check. However, in the call room the official warned athletes in Portuguese, Spanish, and English not to violate the rule.

Eldon Godfrey, president of the Amateur Swimming Union of the Americas, said an official on the pool deck "believed the cap was in breach of rules and consequently did what he should do and disqualified the swimmer."

A FINA official reinstated de Deus. There was speculation that an incorrect administrative procedure was blamed.

Silver medalist Daniel Madwed of the United States initially thought de Deus had been DQed because he violated the 15-meter rule for staying underwater after pushing off from the wall.

"I was really just confused," Madwed said. "I didn’t win the race, so I’m glad it turned out the way it did, because I would have felt a little uncomfortable taking the gold medal under those circumstances."

De Deus thanked Madwed for his support.

"I'm glad that even the athletes recognized my victory," de Deus said.

Cuban Defection

Café Fuente, a Cuban news site based in Miami, says that a photographer attached to the Cuban sports delegation has defected to the U.S.

Daniel Anaya, 35, worked for the National Institute of Sports and Recreation (INDER). He arrived in Mexico on Oct. 9, turned in his last photos on Oct. 11 and fled the team.

"I only want to say that I didn't take anything that wasn't mine," Anaya, who is reportedly in the U.S., told Café Fuente.

Under the Cuban Refugee Adjustment Act of 1966, any Cubans that enter the U.S. and stay for one year are eligible for residency.

In 2007, theCuban delegation left Rio de Janeiro in a rush, apparently to avoid additional defections after four athletes left the team.

The Cubans were in such a hurry that the men’s volleyball team was not able to collect its bronze medals.

However, boxers Erislandy Lara, 24, and Guillermo Rigondeaux, 25, reportedly were "repentant" and wanted to return home despite signing five-year contracts with a promoter in Hamburg, Germany. They were deported back to Cuba.

Cuban president Fidel Castro accused a German "mafia" of orchestrating the defections, using "psychological methods" and "millions of dollars" to recruit them.

More than a dozen Cuban athletes, including baseball pitcher Danys Baez and pistol shooter Abel Juncosa Reyes, defected at the Pan Am Games in 1999 in Winnipeg. Tennis player Oswaldo Cruz and soccer official Juan Jose Rojas Coba defectedat the 1979 event in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Seen and Heard around the Pan Am Games

Dance teams get the crowd pumped up between competitions at venues such as rhythmic gymnastics and swimming.Footage of a dancer who was so into her routine that she fell into the pool on Saturday night has become a web sensation. She was quickly fished out. The press conference for women’s modern pentathlon was nearly drowned out by a mariachi band playing right outside the press room. Some of the seats at the swimming pool are well behind the starting blocks, which makes for bad sight lines, but there isn’t a bad seat at volleyball. Volleyball had a problem with water leaking onto the court, but it was soon fixed. The Code Paradero venue had a full house for air pistol finals. Traditionally, spectators at shooting events only clap if an athlete shoots a 10.0 or better, but here they cheered every score by Mexican and Venezuelan athletes. They even booed the Americans when they scored below a 9.0 and politely clapped for anything above. Lines to purchase concessions and to go through the metal detector are extremely long at some venues. In Puerto Vallarta, the concession stands for beach volleyball feature tostados with ceviche, shrimp, and guacamole, while two full bars (liquor and beer) are available for fans. The amenities at the shooting range include snacks and drinks, but the coffee machine had issues most of the weekend. How fast is the pool, which has been the site of several Pan American Games records? "It’s hard to tell," says Robert Margalis of the U.S., "when you’re at 5,000 feet of altitude." The PAG mascots are making the rounds and taking pictures with fans. In traditionally traffic-snarled Guadalajara, official transportation has not been delayed, although some streets are clogged. "Many schools are out the next two weeks, so that’s going to help us," says Ivar Sisniega, director of sports and operations.Written and reported in Guadalajara by Karen Rosen.

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