by Pirate Irwin
PARIS, July 3 (AFP) - Winning the Pan American Gamestitle would mean more to world 400 metres hurdleschampion Felix Sanchez than winning a second world crownhe admitted on Thursday.
The 25-year-old said his ambition had been to win amedal in every major games he could compete in andhaving finished fourth in the last Pan Am Games heintended to put that right at the start of August.
Sanchez has the added motivation that the Games arebeing held in the Dominican Republic, from where hisparents come and for whom he competes.
The Pan Ams are more important than the worlds forme, believe me,'' said Sanchez, who on Friday attemptsto win his 20th successive race in the Golden Leaguemeeting at the Stade de France. Aside from wanting to win a medal in every majorchampionships - these Games and the Olympics are theonly ones I am missing - they are being held in mycountry which is very important to me.’’
Sanchez, who missed out on joining compatriot SammySosa in a baseball career after breaking his wrist in awrestling bout, denied that by competing in the Pan Amshe would be jeopardisng his chances of successfullydefending his world crown in the same Stade de Francetrack in the last week of August.
I want to break the Games record which was set 1999but I don't see myself being pushed too hard as the timeis way off my best,'' he said. Sanchez, who bears a Superman tattoo on his arm, saidhe was disappointed that home favourite Stephane Diaganawas not running in Friday's meeting but expected the1997 world champion to turn up in prime form for theworld championships. I will be lacking a little bit in motivation onFriday because when Diagana is there it pushes me,’’ hesaid.
``However I did not expect him to come after his poorrun in Poznan.’’
However Sanchez conceded that he was the only athletehe could put up with beating him in the worldchampionships.
If I ran a personal best and finished second behindDiagana - but only him - I would be satisfied. He is my only threat, though I will let him absorbthe stress of performing in front of his home crowd.’’
New York-born Sanchez, who will compete in the RomeGolden League meeting on July 11 before heading off totrain for the Pan Ams, was less sure-footed when havingarrived in a Paris Saint Germain shirt he stumbled overnaming his favourite players at the club he supports,Real Madrid.
``Zinedine Zidane, and that guy with the teeth … ahyeah Ronaldo!’’
David Beckham’s transfer hype has clearly yet to reachthe consciousness of one of the world’s top athletes!