The Dominican sports federations forecast that the Dominican delegation will secure a total of 36 medals, including 1 gold medal, 7 silver and 28 bronze. At the Winnipeg Games in 1999, reports Hoy newspaper, the DR took only nine medals ? one gold, three silver and five bronze. The predictions are detailed as follows:
Weightlifting: Medals: 3 silver, 3 bronze. Watch for Wanda Rijo, Miosotis Heredia, Wendy Santana, Maria Carvajal, Guillermina Candelario, Carlos Holguin, Playter Reyes and Roque Reinoso. Dominican weightlifters took home 4 medals in 1999, with Wanda Rijo winning gold.
Karate: Medals: 3 silver, 2 bronze. Watch for Rubel Salomon, Sterlin Feliz, Ana Montilla, Eduardo Confidente, Gustavo Dionicio, Alberto Zabala and Ariel Perez. At the 1999 Games, Katy Acevedo won a silver in this event.
Boxing, Judo, and Wrestling are down for three medals apiece. In the 1999 games, Luis Benitez took silver in the Tae Kwon Do event and Juan Carlos Jacinto and Elocadia Vargas both won bronze in Judo.
Two medals each are forecast for Track and Field, Cycling and Shooting.
The country also has its hopes for gold set on world-class hurdler F?lix Santana.
In team sports, there are good prospects for a bronze medals in volleyball, handball, baseball and men?s softball.
Over the years, the DR has won 77 medals in the Pan Am Games ? 3 gold, 23 silver and 51 bronze. Baseball won gold in the Mexico 1955 Olympics, with Felipe Rojas Alou on that team. Boxer Joan Guzm?n was the first Dominican to win gold in the Argentina Pan Am Games in 1995. Wanda Rijo also won gold in Weightlifting at the Winnipeg Games.
The Dominican team consists of 794 people, including 549 athletes, 127 coaches, 489 delegates, 23 arbiters and 52 officials.