THE 1987 PAN AMERICAN GAMES : Gymnastics Judge Gets Warnings and Then Gets Boot From Games

A gymnastics judge from Puerto Rico was removed Sunday because Pan American Games officials said he was trying to improperly influence other judges, delaying the men’s individual competition.

Heriberto Crespo of Puerto Rico was removed from the floor judging panel in the middle of the vault--the fourth of six events.

Crespo was escorted from the Hoosier Dome floor by Robert Cowan, the men’s competition director for the games and men’s program administrator for the U.S. Gymnastics Federation.

“We gave him nine warnings,” Cowan said. “Finally we said enough. We wanted to be gracious hosts but there was limit.

“If this was the worlds, he would have been red-carded and banned from judging for life.”

Cowan said Crespo was trying to influence judges to favor Latin American countries, especially Cuba. Cowan said this happened in the pommel horse, rings and vault, but cited only one instance in which it affected the medalists.

Cowan said Crespo helped create a three-way tie for the bronze medal in the pommel horse between Felix Aguilera of Cuba, Tony Pineda of Mexico and Mario Gonzales of Puerto Rico by convincing the Mexican judge to lower his score for Pineda.

Cowan said he decided to remove Crespo after consultation with Bill Roetzheim of the United States, the leading member of Federation International Gymnastics in the Western Hempisphere. Cowan said Crespo offered little resistance.

Crespo left the Hoosier Dome shortly after the competition and was not available for comment.

The delays in judging forced what would normally be a 2 1/2-hour competition to take 4 hours to complete.