PAN AM GAMES Felix Sanchez makes Dominicans' day

For the first time in 32 years, the U.S. men did not medal in basketball.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) -- To the Dominican fans, the U.S. athletes were a mere warmup act.
And while the Americans stole some of the spotlight from Felix Sanchez on the track, they couldn't grab a bronze medal on the basketball court Wednesday.
The locals packed the Olympic Stadium to cheer on world champion Sanchez in the 400-meter hurdles, which he won in a Pan American Games record 48.19 seconds. They went wild as he crossed the finish line, then draped a Dominican flag around his sweaty body for a victory lap.
"I was very nervous," Sanchez said. "I knew people wanted this medal. I was warming up and heard the stadium roar. I knew if I didn't do it I'd have to wait for Brazil 2007."
Packed arena
No sooner had he disappeared under the stands than thousands of Dominicans headed next door to the Palacio de los Deportes for the basketball final between the hosts and Brazil. Clearly, not all of those who got into the arena had tickets, and they sat in the aisles and on the balcony railings.
"This is an incredible thing to witness," said U.S. coach Tom Izzo, whose team fell to Puerto Rico 76-70 in the bronze medal game. "I've never seen anything like it. Fire marshalls in the U.S. would not let this happen."
But unlike at the track, the Dominican heroes didn't win the gold in basketball, getting blown out 89-62.
For the United States, it was the first time in 32 years the men did not medal in basketball.
"It's very disappointing having to go home without a medal," Connecticut's Ben Gordon said.
The American standouts were sprinters Lauryn Williams, who considered ending her career only 24 hours earlier, and Mickey Grimes. Williams, of Pittsburgh, ran a personal-best 11.12 seconds in the women's 100 meters, and Grimes, of Los Angeles, took the men's 100 only minutes later. It marked the first time the United States swept the 100 in the Pan Ams since 1987 in Indianapolis.
Williams became so frustrated Tuesday after running an 11.54 in qualifying that she told coach Amy Deem "maybe it's time to hang up my spikes."
"I was just a little upset after the race, and you say weird things," she said. "My start's been horrible all season. Once I get my start right, I'll be at 10.80 or 10.90. I'm going to be fast. But a gold is still a gold."
Angela Williams of Ontario, Calif. earned silver for the second straight Pan Ams.
Grimes crossed the line in 10.10 to edge Jamaica's Michael Frater (10.21). American Marcelle Scales won the bronze in 10.22.
"It's not Olympic gold or world championship gold, but it's my first big championship, so I'm happy," Grimes said.
Stephen Moore of Plainview, Texas, made up more than 68 points by winning the 1,500 meters, the final event of the decathlon, beating Luiggy Llanos of Puerto Rico, 7,809 points to 7,704. Moore overcame a deep bruise in his right heel during the hurdles and also dealt with a troublesome lower back.
Moore ran a 4:41.72 to win the 1,500, then collapsed on the track. As a joke, Argentina's Enrique Aguirre got down over him and slapped his hand to the track three times as if Moore had been pinned.
Joanna Hayes of Riverside, Calif., won the 400 hurdles in 54.77.
"I came in thinking I could win this thing and everything just seemed to fall into place," she said.
Breakthrough
Achraf Tadili became the first Canadian in 40 years to win the Pan Ams 800.
In softball, Leah O'Brien-Amico hit a game-winning home run as the Americans beat Canada 1-0. Jennie Finch pitched a one-hitter and struck out 10.
Reigning Olympic champion Laura Wilkinson placed fifth in 10-meter platform diving as Canada took two of the top three spots, including gold by world champion Emilie Heymans of Montreal.
Sara Hildebrand, a 2000 Olympian from St. Paul, Minn., placed sixth.
Canadians Alexandre Despatie and Philippe Comtois won gold in men's 3-meter synchronized diving. The American brother team of Justin and Troy Dumais of Ventura, Calif., earned bronze.
The U.S. women routed the Dominican Republic 109-54 in basketball to close the round-robin 4-1.