Dominican world champion hurdler F?lix S?nchez stands a
\ngood chance of retaining his world title in Friday?s 400-meter hurdles finals at
\nthe international athletics championships in Paris. S?nchez came first in the
\nsemi-finals yesterday, with a time of 48.16 seconds. ?Everyone wants to beat me,
\nbut I want to beat everyone,? said the world champion, fresh from his triumph at
\nthe Pan American Games in Santo Domingo. He has not lost a single race since
\nwinning the Monaco Grand Prix in July 2001. S?nchez promised to dedicate his
\nvictory to the Dominican people as a tribute to their support.
\nPan Am officials demand payment
\nHoy reports that dozens of referees, judges and other officials who worked at
\nthe Pan American Games have yet to be paid. The affected parties held a
\ndemonstration outside the organizing committee?s offices yesterday, prompting a
\ndeclaration from the director general Bienvenido Solano that the payments would
\nbe made next week. The protestors claimed that they had been given similar
\nassurances in the past and had traveled to the capital to be paid but were just
\nmet with excuses.
\nDepending on the role they played, the officials are due about US$200 each. One
\nof the people affected was a cleaner named Milagros Mercedes, who mopped the
\nsurface of the volleyball training court for nine days, working from 7am to late
\nat night. ?I had to pay someone to look after my two young children so I could
\ngo out to work, now they are sick and no one is here to pay me,? she said.
\nThe protestors fear that the organizing committee?s offices will be closed down
\nthis Friday, according to rumors in circulation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dominican world champion hurdler F?lix S?nchez stands a good chance of retaining his world title in Friday?s 400-meter hurdles finals at the international athletics championships in Paris. S?nchez came first in the semi-finals yesterday, with a time of 48.16 seconds. ?Everyone wants to beat me, but I want to beat everyone,? said the world champion, … <\/p>\n