Vargas records a Pan Am KO
8/13/2003SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - Heavyweight Devin Vargas of Toledo, the final U.S. boxer to compete yesterday in the Pan American Games, went down early, trailed 10-6 after one round, but came back in the following three rounds before stopping Brazil's Alexsandro Cardoso.
Vargas knocked Cardoso to the canvas four times in the fourth round before the fight was stopped.
Vargas has a semifinal bout today.
In baseball, Cuba won its ninth championship, beating the United States 3-1.
Ariel Pestano singled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, then homered in the ninth.
Jered Weaver took his first loss of the summer and had his streak of scoreless innings end at 452/3.
In swimming, the U.S. added five gold medals in five races, but the U.S. lost some gold previously panned.
U.S. sprinter Mickey Grimes tested positive for the stimulant ephedrine and will be stripped of two gold medals he won here.
The Pan American Sports Organization said the doping test conducted in a Montreal laboratory showed Grimes had 13.7 micrograms per milliliter of ephedrine in his system. The legal limit is 10.
“I understand that athletes need to take responsibility for everything we put in our bodies,” Grimes said in a statement released through the U.S. Olympic Committee. “I made a mistake and I know that my action carries with it a penalty.
“I sincerely regret letting down the U.S. delegation and my country, and I look forward to representing my country in the future.”
An ephedrine positive carries a maximum penalty of disqualification from the meet and a public warning. The U.S. 400-meter relay team, on which Grimes ran the opening leg, will be stripped of its gold medal, too, because Grimes became an ineligible athlete after testing positive for the early dash.