THE 1978 PAN AMERICAN GAMES : Roundup : Costa Rica’s Poll, 16, Wins Third Gold

Swimmer Silvia Poll of Costa Rica won her third individual gold medal of the Pan American Games by winning the 100-meter backstroke Tuesday night.

Poll, 16, set a Pan Am record with a time of 1 minute 2.18 seconds.

The 6-foot 2-inch Poll won the 100 and 200 freestyles, a silver medal on the 800-freestyle relay team and a a bronze medal in Tuesday’s 400 freestyle relay.

“I’ve done better than I thought I would do,” she said.

Mike O’Brien of Costa Mesa, the 1984 Olympic 1,500 freestyle gold medalist, won the 200 backstroke Tuesday. On Monday, he was on the winning U.S. 800 freestyle relay team.

Julie Martin of La Palma won the women’s 400-meter freestyle.

Eight athletes from the Dominican Republic have deserted their team at the Pan Am Games, an act the nation’s top Olympic official deemed “treason to country and sport.”

Six athletes left the Dominican delegation Monday and headed to New York to find work, bringing to eight the number to leave in two days, said Jose Joaquin Puello, president of the Dominican Republic Olympic Committee.

Wrestlers Fausto Santana and Francisco Lora, and weightlifters Manuel Volques, Angel Diaz, Angel Bernal and Luis Emilio Schowe left the Olympic Village shortly after midnight Monday. Two members of the cycling team, Gustavo Deschamps and Teodoro Souza, left earlier in the day.

Members of the Dominican team have a three-month visa to travel in the United States. After that period, they become illegal aliens and are subject to arrest and deportation.

“They’re free to be in this country until their visas expire,” said Gary Schoon, special agent with the FBI in Indianapolis.

Puello said Dominican team officials have taken measures to ensure that no other athletes leave the team. The Dominican Republic brought 92 athletes to the Games.

Puello confirmed that six of the athletes were soldiers whose sole job was to compete in sports. He added that the athletes are “finished forever” from participating in organized sports in their country.

“We classify this attitude as high treason to the country and sports because they--the athletes who deserted--have abused the generosity of the Dominican people, the government and everyone who has helped the amateur sports of our country,” Puello said.

Puello said the athletes apparently planned before arriving in Indianapolis to leave the team. None of them competed in events.

Juan Nunez, bronze-medal winner in the 100 meters, called his teammates’ actions “lamentable.”

“Everyone has their own criteria for what they should do in life, but I believe these athletes have acted very badly because now we are all embarrassed,” Nunez said.

Jim Buehning of Short Hills, N.J., who was suspended from team handball competition after striking a Canadian player in a game Sunday, had his suspension reduced by one game after a protest by the United States.

Buehning can play in the final, if the United States gets that far.

Buehning--whose father, Dr. Peter G. Buehning, is president of the Pan American Team Handball Federation--had been suspended for four games, which would have made him ineligible for any further Pan Am competition.

Buehning, a 1984 Olympian, slapped Denis Dubreuil in the head with 7:32 left in Sunday’s game, which the United States won, 31-23. He immediately was ejected from the game.

A three-member jury reduced the suspension after hearing the appeal.

“In cases like this in Europe, the penalty would have been at least one year’s suspension,” said Dr. Irving Lund, president of the International Handball Federation, who announced the reduction of the suspension.

Lund said, however, that the jury felt Buehning was provoked by the Canadian.

The United States continued to dominate the medals’ standings with 98, including 46 gold. Cuba was next with 60 medals, 31 of them gold, including all 22 golds awarded in weightlifting so far.

The United States and Cuba combined have more medals than all the other 21 medalist countries.

In rhythmic gymnastics, Diane Simpson of Evanston, Ill., won gold medals in rope and ribbon, while Lourdes Medina of Cuba, the all-around champion, took the hoop and clubs titles.

Simpson, who also won a silver medal in hoop, had the three highest scores awarded Tuesday night--9.80 in rope and hoop, 9.75 in ribbon.

The U.S. equestrian team won the three-day dressage competition, led by Mike Huber of Norman, Okla., aboard Quartermaster. His 45.2 penalty points were the lowest total in the event.

Skeet shooter Dan Carlisle of Corona combined with Matt Dryke of Sequim, Wash., and Al Mullins of Columbus, Ga., to win a gold medal.

The U.S. men’s basketball team will play Mexico tonight, while the U.S. women make their debut against Peru.

Tuesday night, former University of Oregon star Bev Smith scored 21 points to lead Canada to a 94-57 victory over Mexico.

MEDAL STANDINGS

G S B Tot United States 48 33 24 105 Cuba 32 17 12 61 Canada 5 14 30 49 Argentina 3 4 9 16 Brazil 5 5 5 15 Venezuela 1 6 6 13 Colombia 0 4 8 12 Puerto Rico 2 3 2 7 Costa Rica 3 2 1 6 Mexico 3 1 1 5 Dom. Republic 0 1 4 5 Nicaragua 0 0 3 3 Bahamas 0 0 2 2 Ecuador 0 0 2 2 Suriname 1 0 0 1 Jamaica 0 1 0 1 Panama 0 1 0 1 Peru 0 1 0 1 U.S. Virgin Is. 0 1 0 1 Uruguay 0 1 0 1 Bermuda 0 0 1 1 Chile 0 0 1 1 Trinidad 0 0 1 1