Puerto Rica turned out to be the surprise winner of men's gymnastics team event as it beat host Brazil and powerhouse the United States to the second and third places at the 15th Pan American Games on Saturday.
The Puerto Rica team, which had never achieved good results in Pan American Games history, garnered a total of 353.900 points for the gold. The Brazilian team finished 0.30 points behind for the silver and the bronze went to the United States at 353.300.
"We were very apprehensive while waiting for the confirmation of the gold medal. Anxiety was pretty high. We waited for some two hours in which every one-tenth of a point would be fundamental for keeping our result. But today, it was really a Puerto Rican day," said Puerto Rican gymnast Luis Vargas.
"We need to thank the Brazilian crowd. It was a great happiness to see all those people supporting us. There was also a little group of people from Puerto Rico. They cheered us all the time, and this is important for our victory." Luis Vargas said.
Vargas' teammate Luis Rivera said: "I am really proud to become part of the sports history of my country. We could never imagine that we'd defeat teams like Brazil or even the United States. All I can feel is a lot of pride for winning this medal."
Source: Xinhua
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