Chile win first Pan Am gold as US flex medal muscles

Chile celebrated their first gold medal of the Pan American Games on Sunday when Francisca Crovetto eased mounting pressure by winning women’s skeet, while mighty United States stepped up their assault on the podium and a Canadian skateboarder grabbed the spotlight.
Chilean nerves had been put to the test after some golden near-misses dialled up tension in the host capital city.
Earlier on a grey Sunday morning Hugo Catrileo came second in the men’s marathon, after Canada on Saturday had denied Chile a golden start by sweeping top spots in the cross-country mountain bike events, leaving brother and sister Martin and Catalina Kossmann with silver.
The wait for gold came to an end on the shooting range for both Chile and Crovetto, who had won two silvers and a bronze at three previous Pan Am Games.
For a moment it looked as if Crovetto might settle for a third runner-up finish but the 33-year-old held her nerve to beat Mexican Gabriela Rodriguez in a shoot-off.