Pan American Games

Cuba will not charge the ABC and CNN networks for the right to cover the 1991 Pan-American Games, the games' chief organizer said. Jose Ramon Fernandez, president of the organizing committee, told reporters the networks would have to pay only for services and equipment rentals during the games, scheduled for August. The U.S. Treasury Department had refused to give a license to Capital Cities/ABC Inc.

The United States' gold-medal drought in men's basketball at the Pan American Games will last at least another four years after a 71-55 loss to Mexico in the semifinals Saturday at Guadalajara. The U.S. has not won Pan American gold since 1983. Mexico last won a medal in basketball in 1991 — a silver — and is guaranteed of at least second place. Jovan Harris led Mexico with 15 points, while Lorenzo Mata added 12 and Paul Stoll scored eight. Harris and Stoll were born in the U.S. but carry Mexican nationality.

Lunging at the line and falling in pain on the track, Felix Sanchez gave it everything he could Thursday in the 400-meter hurdles at the Pan American Games. Instead of another gold, however, "Super Felix" had to settle for bronze in Guadalajara. "I was bronze, but I wanted the gold," Sanchez said. "Just a little bit more and I would've gotten the silver. " The Dominican runner, who was born in the United States and went to USC, won the 400 hurdles gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics and is a two-time world champion in the event.

Lunging at the line and falling in pain on the track, Felix Sanchez gave it everything he could Thursday in the 400-meter hurdles at the Pan American Games. Instead of another gold, however, "Super Felix" had to settle for bronze in Guadalajara. "I was bronze, but I wanted the gold," Sanchez said. "Just a little bit more and I would've gotten the silver. " The Dominican runner, who was born in the United States and went to USC, won the 400 hurdles gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics and is a two-time world champion in the event.

Swimming U.S. swimmers won five of the six final events, giving them 24 of 32 gold medals--their worst performance in the 40-year history of the Games. The best U.S. swimmers skipped the Pan Am Games to prepare for the Pan Pacific Games at Edmonton, Canada, this week. The United States won 49 of 58 medals overall. Ron Karnaugh of Maplewood, N.J., won the 200-meter individual medley in 2:00.92, a Games record. Alex Kostich of Belmont, Mass.

The United States was again on the golden end of the swimming rivalry against Brazil on at the Pan American Games at Guadalajara, Mexico. The Americans won three events Wednesday to Brazil's one, increasing their lead in gold medals in the swimming medals table to 15-7. But Kristel Kobrich of Chile broke the American women's hold on the top of the podium, winning the 800-meter freestyle. Women from the United States have won the other 11 races at this year's games. Overall at the games, the Americans increased their lead in the medals standings with eight golds on Day 5. The United States has won 32 gold and 82 overall, while Brazil has 12 gold and 36 overall.

Olympic swim champion Cesar Cielo won his first and second titles at this year's Pan American Games on Sunday, starting a golden night in the pool for Brazil. Cielo, one of the most accomplished competitors in Guadalajara for the Pan Am Games, set a competition record in winning the 100-meter freestyle in 47.84 seconds. He then helped Brazil win the 4x100 freestyle relay in 3:14.65, another Games record. Felipe Frana added to Brazil's haul with gold in the men's 100 breaststroke, but the United States still leads the medals table with 11 gold and 26 overall.

Badminton has taken Olympic champion Tony Gunawan to courts all over the world. But he never expected it would land him in federal court, which is where he found himself Tuesday morning, ordered to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carla M. Woehrle on the sixth floor of the Roybal Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles. "I'm very nervous," Gunawan confessed, anxiously wringing his hands and smiling wanly. His sport has brought him money and acclaim far beyond what he could have imagined growing up in East Java, Indonesia.

SAN JOSE -- Ivana Hong is only 14 years old yet is already fluent in three languages -- English, Chinese and Vietnamese -- and is rapidly learning Spanish. Then again, what she heard while competing last month at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro was clear in any language. Boos. Lots of them. "I couldn't believe it," Hong said Wednesday after she finished training at the HP Pavilion in preparation to tonight's start of the women's competition at the U.S.

ON THE WEB Brazil's desire to use the Pan Am Games as a means to push its 2016 Olympics bid was evident, writes Philip Hersh. Go to latimes.com/sports.

As records fall, Brazilian athletes rack up medals and Rio de Janeiro revels in praise in some areas for its good show at the Pan American Games, sponsors are smiling. And they're looking ahead to helping attract future global sports events, maybe even the 2016 Olympics or the 2014 World Cup. A group of major Brazilian and foreign companies are the official sponsors, partners and suppliers of the Brazilian team at the Games, and the results have met or exceeded their expectations.

As a budding swimming champion growing up in the San Gabriel Valley, Giovanni Lanaro remembers going to meets where the first event on the schedule was the playing of the national anthem. "When I would hear it, it was like, 'Wow, it's amazing,' " he said. "Even when I hear it to this day, I still have the same feeling." Lanaro has since left swimming and is now a pole vaulter -- the seventh-best in the world, in fact.