Athletes of all types at Palm Beach meet
By: Sharon Robb, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Staff Writer
July 23, 2005

WEST PALM BEACH · Sheila Venero will be among 800 athletes competing when the Tropical Games of the Palm Beaches open today at the South Florida Fairgrounds.

Venero, a member of the U.S. Karate team from Pembroke Pines, is coming off an impressive showing at the July 15-17 USA National Karate-Do Federation Nationals/Team Trials at Charlotte, N.C.

Her silver-medal performance in the 60-plus kilogram sparring competition qualified her to represent the U.S. team at the Pan American Championships. She lost to three-time world champion Elisa Au in the final but not before she put Au on the floor.

The Palm Beach County Sports Commission's Tropical Games is a multi-sport event over two days.

Boxing was added this year to bring the sports total to 10.

"This event has so much for potential for amateur boxing," said tournament director Mike LeStrange of Silver Gloves. "We have some great clubs coming in from north Florida."

In addition to boxing, there is chess, fencing, judo, karate, power lifting, table tennis, taekwondo, weightlifting and wrestling.

The events feature both elite athletes and developmental athletes of all ages, many out of Palm Beach County's Community Olympic Development Program.

Most of the athletes are from Florida, including Broward, Palm Beach and Metro-Dade. The Sports Commission also invited athletes from USA Boxing and USA Wrestling to attract a national talent pool of athletes.

There also will be drug testing in certain events including powerlifting.

The competition is following the International Olympic Committee's doping guidelines, according to former USA National team coach Robert Keller, the sport's director for the Tropical Games.