NOTEBOOK From the Pan-Am Games

Overcoming illness: Pan American Sports Organization president Mario Vazquez Rana, hospitalized with pneumonia on the weekend, returned to work Tuesday to chair a meeting. He later canceled a news conference on the recommendation of his doctors. "He's very active and wanted to immediately resume activity," said Jimena Saldana, PASO's executive secretary. "But he later felt a little tired and the doctors said he should rest." Vazquez Rana, from Mexico, was rushed to the Armed Forces hospital in the Dominican capital on Sunday after developing a fever during a morning meeting. Tests showed he had symptoms of bilateral pneumonia. Vazquez Rana is also president of the Association of National Olympic Committees Executive Council.
AIDS awareness: When spectators at the Pan American Games stop to get maps of the main Olympic Stadium complex, they also are being handed three condoms. The condoms, tucked inside the folded map, are part of an AIDS awareness campaign being promoted at the games by the Dominican Olympic Committee and the World Bank. The Dominican Republic has one of the highest AIDS rates in the Caribbean, and the government recently launched an aggressive program to help curb the spread of AIDS and HIV. The government estimates at least 130,000 Dominicans have HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS, and more than 52,000 have died from the disease since 1985.
Major tip: Jered Weaver didn't have to look far for some tips on how to pitch to a Dominican team that features 13 former major leaguers. Weaver, the younger brother of New York Yankees pitcher Jeff Weaver, spoke to his brother a few days before taking the mound Monday night at the Pan American Games. The younger Weaver was the winning pitcher in the Americans' 2-0 victory against the host team, working 7 1/3 impressive innings. "I talked to him a little bit," Weaver said. "With the phone situation here, I only got to speak to him once. I knew it was going to be a tough game coming in." Weaver (4-0) was perfect through 3 1/3 innings with three strikeouts, retiring the first 10 batters before allowing a single to left field by Luis Polonia in the fourth inning. He has not allowed a run in 40 innings. He gave up one hit, struck out four and walked one.
No-hitter glory: Nicaragua's Cairo Murillo says pitching a no-hitter against Guatemala on Monday was the highlight of his career. At first, though, he was unaware of his feat. Murillo struck out four batters and walked another as he pitched the first no-hitter at this year's competition. Nicaragua won 5-0. "With two outs remaining I saw my teammates almost out of the dugout and I didn't understand why they were there," he said. "I failed to catch a ball and I thought they'd scored it a hit. But it was glorious when they said it had been a no-hitter. It's the best thing that has ever happened during my career as a pitcher," the 26-year-old said. Nicaragua then beat the United States 3-0 on Tuesday, snapping the Americans' 25-game winning streak.
Hot volunteers: Athletes aren't the only ones struggling with the sweltering temperatures in Santo Domingo. Volunteers staffing many of the venues also are trying to find ways to beat the heat. Some volunteers worked with towels on their shoulders to dab their sweaty brows and others stood under umbrellas as they collected tickets at some of Tuesday's events. Others kept extra bottles of water close by. "It's hot even for us Dominicans," said Maria Vazquez, taking tickets at the women's wrestling competition. Temperatures have hovered around 85 degrees since the competition opened on Saturday, but high humidity has made it feel much hotter.
Bouncing back: Rulon Gardner hopes his latest loss will lead him to a big victory soon. Gardner, a star at the Sydney Olympics when he upset unbeaten Alexander Karelin of Russia, lost 5-0 to Mijian Lopez in the heavyweight class of Greco-Roman wrestling here. Gardner competes again next month in the world championships in Paris. "There's always little setbacks," Gardner said. "It's setbacks that give you goals and direction." He had a toe amputated last year after a snowmobiling accident when he became lost in the Wyoming wilderness. "My feet aren't 100 percent where I know how to react," he said. "It's a bump in the road, but something where I know I'm going to get there."
-- Associated Press