Burma
Did you know- Burma -or Myanmar- came in second place in the Women’s Weightlifting World Championships in Thailand, behind the People’s Republic of China. Burma -under one of the world’s most brutal dictatorships- had won 510 points, ahead of several nations, among them India (508), Russia (336) and Japan (249).
Chile
Did you know- Chile’s athlete Marlene Ahrens Ostertag, two-time Pan American medalist, came in second place in the women’s javelin throw, behind Inese Jaunzeme (USSR), at the 1956 Olympic Games in the Australian city of Melbourne. She was born on July 27, 1933, in Concepción, Chile. By 1959, she became the first non-American to win a Pan American title in the women’s javelin throw.
Colombia
Did you know- Maria Isabel Urrutia is the most important athlete – male or female-in Colombian history. Why? By September 2000, the nation’s weightlifter Urrutia made history when she won the gold medal in the women’s 75-kilogram category at the Sydney Summer Olympics, sparking off celebrations in the South American republic.
Cote d’Ivoire
Did you know- By 2004, Miss Miriam Bah (Cote d’Ivoire) came in fifth place in the women’s 57-kilogram category at the Olympic Taekwondo Tournament in Athens (Greece).
El Salvador
Did you know- The Salvadoran squad won the bronze medal, behind Bermuda and Puerto Rico, in women’s softball in the Central American and Caribbean Games in the Colombian city of Medellin in 1978.
Palau
Did you know- On July 10, 1990, in Saipan (Northern Marianas), the Island’s athlete Anelize Emiliano established a new record of 13.2 seconds in the women’s 100m. Palau, located in Oceania, is one of the smallest members of the Olympic family.
Papua New Guinea
Did you know- By 1965, Papua New Guinea, an ex-British colony in Oceania, competed in the Women’s Softball World Cup in Melbourne (Australia).
Peru
Did you know- Under the direction of Akira Kato (Japan), the Peruvian women’s volleyball squad came in fourth place, behind the USSR, Japan, and South Korea, in the First World Cup in Montevideo, the capital city of Uruguay in late 1973.
Puerto Rico
Did you know- The Puerto Rican squad came in 12th place, among 24 nations, in the FIVB World Championships in the early 2000s, ahead of Japan (local team), Dominican Republic, and Poland.
South Africa
Did you know- On July 6, 1969, South Africa’s swimmer Karen Muir, a white athlete, set a new world record of 1:05,6 in the women’s 100-meter backstroke. Because of the nation’s apartheid policies, Miss Muir -like many world-class athletes from South Africa- could not compete in the Olympics and African Games.
Uganda
Did you know- By 1984, Uganda’s athlete Ruth Kyalisisima set a new African record of 57.01 seconds in the women’s 400m.
Uruguay
Did you know- At the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada), Deborah Gyurcsek (Uruguay) took the bronze medal in the women’s pole vault (track & field).