Guadalajara, Mexico: When it comes to the 100 metres, Jamaica is still the country to beat — with or without Usain Bolt.
Jamaican sprinter Lerone Clarke added the Pan American Games title to the gold medal he won last year at the Commonwealth Games, winning Tuesday's race in 10.01 seconds.
"I ran as fast as I could," the 21-year-old Clarke said. "For me, running is a pleasure."
The gold was Jamaica's first of the games, but it came in a race they have come to own. Besides Bolt's world records at both the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Yohan Blake won the 100 at the 2011 Worlds in South Korea after Bolt was disqualified from the final for a false start.
Overall, the United States still leads the medals table with 66 gold and 176 in total. Brazil is next with 29 gold and 81 overall.
The Americans won a pair of gold medals in bowling and two more in fencing on day 11 of the games, while Cuba also claimed four golds.
Leonel Suarez led the way for the Cubans with gold in the decathlon, scoring 8,373 points and setting three personal bests in the ten-discipline event. Suarez earned bronze in August at the World Championships in South Korea.
Adriana Munoz also won gold for Cuba on the track, taking the title in the women's 800.
"It was easier than I expected," Munoz said. "I thought the race was going to be tougher. I really thought I was going to be behind a couple of opponents in the last 100 metres, but oh well, I capitalised on this opportunity." Cuba also earned a pair of weightlifting gold medals. Ivan Cambar won the men's 77-kilogramme category and Yoelmis Hernandez took the title at 85 kilograms.
Canada's golden run
Canada picked up three more gold medals as well, including one in a 2-1 win over the United States in the baseball final.
In gymnastics, Brazil won the men's team title and earned a spot at an Olympic qualifying event in London in January. Brazil is hoping to qualify a full team for the Olympics for the first time.
Paola Longoria became Mexico's biggest winner at this year's Pan American Games by capturing her third gold medal in racquetball as part of the women's team champions. Longoria already won the singles and doubles titles in Guadalajara.
"We are extremely happy for these medals because we know we worked for them," Longoria said. "The only thing I have left to do is to thank our trainers because without them we wouldn't be here."
The track competition at the Pan American Games is well below the level of the World Championships, but there were still some familiar faces.
Besides Suarez, Maurice Smith of Jamaica took silver in the decathlon. He was also at the worlds in Daegu, but failed to complete all ten events.
In the 100 metres, 2003 world champion and 2011 bronze medalist Kim Collins of St Kitts and Nevis was second behind Clarke.
"I am still proud and happy to have won a medal for my country, despite not winning the gold medal," the 35-year-old Collins said. "But these things happen and now I am going to put more effort into this."
