Rodgers secures first title for Americans in Peru, capturing his first international 100-meter gold medal since 2014; Canada’s Warner becomes first athlete to repeat as decathlon champion in meet history, with Brazil’s Romani breaking men’s shot put record

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

It was Mr. Rodgers’ neighborhood Wednesday at the 18th Pan American Games.

American sprinter and Nike professional Mike Rodgers captured international gold in the men’s 100-meter dash for the first time in five years, clocking a wind-legal 10.09 seconds to secure the first title of the week for the U.S. at Athletic Stadium in Lima, Peru.

Rodgers, 34, held off Brazil’s Paulo Andre Camilo de Oliveira (10.16) and former Georgia standout Cejhae Greene of Antigua and Barbuda (10.23) to become only the third U.S. men’s 100-meter gold medalist in Pan Am Games history, including the first since Bernard Williams in 1999.

Rodgers has won 100 races this year in Japan, China, Finland, Czech Republic, Poland, Italy and now Peru. His title marked the first time since DecaNation in 2014 in France that Rodgers secured a gold medal in the 100 representing the U.S. at a global event.

Canada’s Damian Warner became the first individual in meet history to repeat as men’s decathlon champion with 8,513 points, clocking 4:38.31 seconds to place runner-up in the 1,500 meters and maintain his overall lead over silver medalist Lindon Victor of Grenada, who accumulated 8,240 points.

Pierce LePage added a bronze medal for Canada with 8,161 points.

Following an exceptional performance to win the men’s shot put June 30 at the Prefontaine Classic, Brazil’s Darlan Romani eclipsed the meet record Wednesday with a sixth-round effort of 72-5 (22.07m).

Romani, who captured the first Pan Am gold medal in the event for Brazil, surpassed the 2015 mark of 71-2 (21.69m) by Jamaica’s O’Dayne Richards.

Arizona standout Jordan Geist produced a sixth-round effort of 67-9.75 (20.67m) to secure silver for the U.S., moving ahead of Mexico’s Uziel Munoz Galarza, who achieved a mark of 67-5.50 (20.56m) on his final attempt.

Juan Miguel Echevarria captured the first men’s long jump gold medal for Cuba since three-time Pan Am winner Ivan Pedroso in 2003, and the country’s sixth title overall, achieving a fourth-round leap of 27-1.75 (8.27m).

Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle jumped 26-9.75 (8.17m) in the second round to earn a silver medal, with Uruguay’s Emiliano Lasa Sanchez grabbing bronze with a fourth-round effort of 25-10 (7.87m).

Jamaica secured a pair of titles in women’s events, with Elaine Thompson winning the 100 in a wind-legal 11.18 seconds and Natoya Goule prevailing in the 800 in 2:01.26.

Goule captured her country’s first Pan Am gold in the event to hold off Cuba’s Rose Mary Almanza Blanco (2:01.64) and Uruguay’s Deborah Rodriguez (2:01.66).

Thompson won the second straight championship in the event for Jamaica, following Sherone Simpson in 2015. Michelle Lee-Ahye of Trinidad and Tobago took second in 11.27 and Brazil’s Vitoria Cristina Rosa placed third in 11.30.