Sports in Latin America!

">while giving up 656. During that event, Colombia lost
Brazil143-76 to the Soviet Union (present-day Russia), one
Did you know- The 2016 Olympic Games will be held inof the worst results in basketball history!
Rio de Janeiro -one of the country's largest cities. RioJamaica
won the election at the expense of Madrid (Spain) andDid you know- Jamaica had won Olympic gold medals
Chicago (America). Brazil, under the leadership ofbefore the Island became an independent nation in the
Carlos Arthur Nuzman (one of the most importantCaribbean.
Olympic leaders in the Planet), had been the only LatinPeru
American country in the world to submit a bid for theDid you know - Cecilia Tait Villacorta participated to
2016 Summer Olympics.three World Championships with two medals in 1982
Bolivia(Lima, Peru) and 1986 (Prague, Czechoslovakia). Like
Did you know- Bolivia has had many popularFlo Hyman (U.S.A) and Lang Ping (People's Republic of
sportswomen in the 20th century: Julia Iriarte (track &China), Latin America's athlete Tait is one of the best
field/ Bolivarian champ in the 40s), Antonieta Arizagavolleyball players in history. Her name was engraved
(aquatics/ Bolivarian champ in 1977), Betty Saavedraon the wall of honour in the Estadio Nacional (National
(South American silver medalist in 1978), GiovannaStadium) of Lima, the capital city of Peru. This former
Morejon (athletics/ South American champ), Mariaathlete was a congresswoman in her native country.
Ortuno (basketball), Katherine Moreno (swimming),During her sporting career, between 1976 and 1988,
Mary Sanjinez (athletics/ South American champ inshe had attended several international events such as
1981), Lynda Spenst (athletics), Guadalupe YañezOlympic Games (Moscow'80, Los Angeles '84, and
(South American silver medalist in 1978), and MariaSeoul '88), World Cups, South American
Villarroel ( the tallest volleyball player in the nation).Championships, and the Pan American Games (San
ColombiaJuan'79, Caracas'83, and Indianapolis'87). She has
Did you know- Colombia hosted the FIBA Worldplayed in Brazil, Japan, and Italy.
Tournament in the early 80s. Like host country, thePuerto Rico
men's basketball team, with Jim McGregor (USA) asDid you know- The Island's most popular sports are
coach, won the right to compete in the semi-finals,archery, athletics, baseball (national sport), basketball,
together with the USSR, America, Yugoslavia (nowbowling, boxing, judo, softball, swimming, tennis, and
Serbia), Spain, Australia, and Canada. However, thevolleyball. On the other hand, Roberto Clemente
local team had a particularly difficult championship,(baseball) is the national idol on the Island.
losing all five matches and scoring only 473 points