The Cuban sports delegation to the 15th Pan American Games accomplished its promise to finish second in the final medal count.

The olympic flame is about to be put out in the emblematic Maracana stadium and Cubans are letting off tensions when the promised trophy is already secure.

Rio-2007 is coming to an end, and while there are still the finals of marathon, the match for the gold in men s basketball, a tennis final and equestrian competition to be contended, the host team will hold the third place in the final medal count.

Cuba should finish the games with 59 gold medals, 35 silver and 42 bronze, ahead of Brazil by eight gold titles.

In track and field events, Cuba achieved 12 first places, 9 in wrestling, and weightlifting, boxing, rowing and judo all with 5 titles each, as the most outstanding disciplines in this edition of Pan American games.

Fencing, cycling and rowing competitions contributed three gold medals to Cuba, while shooters and taekwondo fighters obtained one gold in each discipline.

The surprise was the first gold medal won by men archers in Pan American games, while diving had the best results in Cuban sports history, one gold and two silver medals, as well as the first place in the route cycling test.

Baseball and women s volleyball carry home special awards, for one the crown in the national sport and the master performance of the new "morenas del Caribe" against the strong host team.

Cuba was only second to the United States, whose performance, by the way, was very disappointing with less than 100 gold titles for a world power, amidst the increasing level boasted by Latin American sports.

The 15th Pan American games showed a consolidated Brazil in the third place, helped by that additional force of fans support.

Now the countdown begins to the next confrontation at Guadalajara-2011 in Mexico.

Source: Prensa Latina