Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Sarah Hollander
Plain Dealer Reporter
Cleveland's version of the International Children's Games closed Monday night with a medals ceremony downtown and last-chance photos and goodbyes for more than 2,200 athletes and their delegations.
All weekend, delegates have complimented Cleveland as a city and for its handling of the Games, the first in the United States and the largest to date.
Torsten Rasch, international president of the Games, echoed those sentiments Monday, thanking athletes for their sportsmanship and the city for its hospitality.
"All you Clevelanders deserve a symbolic gold medal for hosting these Games," he said.
Local dignitaries, including Mayor Jane Campbell and U.S. Reps. Dennis Kucinich and Stephanie Tubbs Jones, joined Games representatives from around the world to hand out hundreds of gold, silver and bronze medals for competitions in 10 sports.
All the while, athletes milled in the intense sun on Mall B, signing each other's T-shirts with Sharpies and trading everything from city pins and national flags to wooden shoes from Holland.
Monday, the last day of competition, ended with excitement.
Team Cleveland's boys and girls basketball teams, for example, both played nail-biters in games for medals.
The girls won, 36-35, when Destiny Sims sank a shot to complete a comeback against Baja California, Mexico, and capture gold. The boys team lost by a point to San Juan, Puerto Rico, on a last-second jump shot. San Juan went on to win gold. Cleveland won the bronze.
In all, about half of the 50 competing countries will take home medals.
Team Cleveland won nine gold, three silver and five bronze.
Before Lithuania's team left for Cleveland, they promised to bring a medal home during an official sendoff party.
Underdog swimmer Erika Bespalko, 14, won a silver medal for the 100-meter breaststroke. She practices in a small pool in her city of Kaunas and wasn't accustomed to swimming the entire pool length without turning.
Other surprises included a Team Cleveland silver tennis win by Christine Chiricosta, 14, of Avon Lake. Originally an alternate, Christine played because of a teammate's injury.
Although the girls soccer team from Afghanistan didn't win a medal, they did win the Heart Award, given to athletes who have shown particular passion and courage.
The girls, who had never played soccer, learned the game during five weeks of training in Connecticut. The Afghan Youth Sports Exchange, which sponsored their visit, prepares Afghanistan's post-Taliban youths with leadership skills to promote athletics in their schools.
John Ligato, head of security for the Games, heaped praise on the event's security personnel. As of Monday afternoon, there had been no arrests, no serious injuries and no muggings, thefts or fights connected to the Games, he said.
Event Co-Chairman Alex Machaskee, president and publisher of The Plain Dealer, called the Games a great positive for Cleveland.
"This event has given us a lift in so many ways," he said.
Rasch declared the torch extinguished and the Games closed at 7:42 p.m. Then he issued an invitation to the 2005 Games in Coventry, England.
"See you all next year!"
Plain Dealer reporters Tasha Flournoy, Joe Guillen and Robert L. Smith contributed to this story.
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shollander@plaind.com, 216-999-4816
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