The Pan American Games, known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas. It features thousands of athletes participate in a competitions to win different summer sports. It is held among athletes from nations of the Americas, every 4 years, the year before Summer Olympics. It is the second oldest continental games in the world. The only Winter Pan American Games were held in 1990. In 2021, the Junior Pan American Games was held for the first time specifically for young athletes. The Pan American Sports Organization is the governing body of the Pan American Games movement, whose structure and actions are defined by the Olympic Charter.
The 1955 Pan American Games, officially known as II Pan American Games and commonly known as Mexico 1955, opened on March 12, 1955, in the University Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico, in front of a capacity crowd of 100,000 spectators.
The 1959 Pan American Games, officially known as the III Pan American Games and commonly known as Chicago 1959, were held in Chicago, Illinois, United States between August 28 and September 7, 1959.
The 1963 Pan American Games, officially known as the IV Pan American Games and commonly known as São Paulo 1963, were held from April 20 to May 5, 1963, in São Paulo, Brazil.
The 1971 Pan American Games, officially known as the VI Pan American Games and commonly known as Cali 1971, were held in Cali, Colombia, from July 30 to August 13, 1971. A total of 2,935 athletes from 32 countries participated in 17 sports.
The 1975 Pan American Games, officially known as the VII Pan American Games and commonly known as Mexico 1975, were held in Mexico City, Mexico, from October 12 to October 26, 1975, exactly twenty years after the second Pan American Games were held there. It was the third major sporting event held in the Mexican capital in seven years, after the 1968 Summer Olympics and the 1970 FIFA World Cup.
The 1979 Pan American Games, officially the VIII Pan American Games and commonly known as San Juan 1979, were a multi-sport event governed by the Panam Sports Organization (PASO), and were held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from July 1 to July 15, 1979. Volleyball and some baseball matches were held in Caguas, Puerto Rico. The 1980 documentary film A Step Away showcased a number of athletes competing in the Games.
The 1991 Pan American Games, officially known as the XI Pan American Games and commonly known as Havana 1991, were held in Havana, Cuba from 2 to 18 August 1991. There were 4,519 athletes from 39 countries of the PASO community, with events in 33 different sports. The main stadium was the Estadio Panamericano, a multi-use stadium in Havana that holds 50,000 people.
The 1995 Pan American Games, officially known as the XII Pan American Games and commonly known as Mar del Plata 1995, were held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, from 12 to 26 March 1995. After 44 years, this was the Pan American Games' first return to the country that hosted the first Games, in 1951.
The 2003 Pan American Games, officially the XIV Pan American Games and commonly known as Santo Domingo 2003, were held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from August 1 to 17, 2003. The successful bid for the Games was made in the mid-1990s, when Dominican Republic had one of the highest growth rates in Latin America.
The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games and commonly known as Rio 2007, were a major continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to 29, 2007. A total of 5,633 athletes from 42 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) competed in 332 events in 34 sports and in 47 disciplines. During the Games, 95 new Pan American records were set; 2,196 medals were awarded; 1,262 doping control tests were performed and about 15,000 volunteers participated in the organization of the event, which served as an Olympic qualification occasion for 13 International Federations (IFs).
The 2011 Pan American Games, officially the XVI Pan American Games and commonly known as Guadalajara 2011, were an international multi-sport event held from October 14–30, 2011, in Guadalajara, Mexico. Some events were held in the nearby cities of Ciudad Guzmán, Puerto Vallarta, Lagos de Moreno and Tapalpa. It was the largest multi-sport event of 2011, with approximately 6,000 athletes from 42 nations participating in 36 sports. Both the Pan American and Parapan American Games were organized by the Guadalajara 2011 Organizing Committee (COPAG). The 2011 Pan American Games were the third Pan American Games hosted by Mexico and the first held in the state of Jalisco. Previously, Mexico hosted the 1955 Pan American Games and the 1975 Pan American Games, both in Mexico City. The 2011 Parapan American Games were held 20 days after the Pan American Games had ended.
The II Southern Cross Games were a multi-sport event held in 1982 in Rosario, Argentina, with some events in Santa Fe, Buenos Aires (sailing) and Esperanza. This was the second and last edition under this name of what would be renamed the South American Games, organized by the South American Sports Organization (ODESUR). An appraisal of the games and detailed medal lists were published elsewhere, emphasizing the results of the Argentinian teams. Torch lighter was rower Gerardo Constantini.
The VIII South American Games were a multi-sport event held from 9 to 19 November 2006 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with some events taking place in Mar del Plata. An appraisal of the games and detailed medal lists were published elsewhere, emphasizing the results of the Argentinian teams.
The 2018 Summer Youth Olympics, officially known as the III Summer Youth Olympic Games, and commonly known as Buenos Aires 2018, were an international sports, cultural, and educational event held from 6 to 18 October 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They were the first Youth Olympic Games held outside of Eurasia, and the first Summer Games held outside of Asia and the first to be held in the Western and Southern hemispheres. It was the second Olympic Games held in South America after the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The 2019 Pan American Games, officially the XVIII Pan American Games and commonly known as Lima 2019, were a multi-sport event governed by the Panam Sports Organization held in Lima, Peru from July 26 to August 11, 2019, with preliminary rounds in certain events having begun on July 24, 2019. These were the first Pan American Games to be held in Peru, and the seventh to be held in South America. Lima will host the Pan American Games again in 2027.
The 2023 Pan American Games, officially the XIX Pan American Games and commonly known as Santiago 2023, were an international multi-sport event governed by the Panam Sports Organization, held in Santiago, Chile from October 20 to November 5, 2023; preliminary rounds in certain events began on October 18, 2023. These are the first Pan American Games to be held in Chile, and the eighth to be held in South America.
The Sociedad Sportiva Argentina was an Argentine multi-sports club sited in Buenos Aires. The headquarters were located in Florida street nº 183 while the stadium was sited in Palermo, next to Hipódromo Argentino. Originally established in 1899 under the name "Sociedad Hípica Argentina" for the practise of equestrian activities, the Sociedad Sportiva would held a large variety of sport events in several disciplines, such as football, athletics, auto racing, aviation, aerostatics, aeronautics, boxing, bicycle racing, motorcycle racing, polo, rugby union, trot, sulky races, show jumping, among others.
The XII South American Games was a multi-sport event held between 1–15 October 2022 in Asunción, Paraguay. The Games were organized by the South American Sports Organization, the Paraguayan Olympic Committee, the government of the Republic of Paraguay and the local National Secretary of Sports.
The 2021 Junior Pan American Games was the first edition of the Junior Pan American Games, an international multi-sports event for athletes aged 17 to 22 in the Americas, organized by Panam Sports. It was held in Cali and Valle, Colombia between November 25 to December 5, 2021.
