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Host | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
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Nations | 42 |
Athletes | 5,223 |
Events | 338 in 35 sports |
Opening | August 1 |
Closing | August 17 |
Opened by | President Hipólito Mejía |
Cauldron lighter | Luis Pujols |
Main venue | Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium |
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Part of a series on the |
2003 Pan American Games |
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The 2003 Pan American Games, officially the XIV Pan American Games (Spanish : XIV Juegos Panamericanos) 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. [1] [2]
All 42 PASO countries and over 5,223 athletes pre-registered for participation in the XIV Pan American Games. An additional 2,425 trainers and delegates attended. [3] The United States pre-registered the most athletes (713) and Saint Lucia entered the least (6). The host country entered 562 athletes.
In December 1998, in Panama City, Panama, Santo Domingo beat Guadalajara, Mexico, and Medellín, Colombia, in the voting to host the Games. [4] Guadalajara went on to host the 2011 Pan American Games. [5]
City | NOC | Round 1 | Round 2 |
---|---|---|---|
Santo Domingo | ![]() | 24 | 28 |
Guadalajara | ![]() | 21 | 24 |
Medellin | ![]() | 6 | — |
The games opened at Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez before a crowd of 48,000. The exhibition featured some 10,000 performers, some dressed in costumes ranging from skeletons to men in tuxedoes and top hats, typifying a Dominican carnival.
Local baseball heroes Juan Marichal and Pedro Martínez were on hand for the ceremony. They completed the final lap of the torch and with Luis Pujols, the nephew of the San Francisco Giants coach of the same name, dressed in a Dominican baseball uniform, swung a bat at a baseball sitting atop the mini-flame which triggered the cauldron.
The ceremony also was attended by then-President of the Dominican Republic Hipólito Mejía, Pan American Sports Organization president Mario Vázquez Raña and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The Dominican Republic spent at least $175 million for the 17-day sporting event. Two Olympic parks were renewed or built, the Centro Olímpico Juan Pablo Duarte and Parque del Este complex. Laborers were forced to work right up until the opening ceremony because of construction delays, electrical blackouts, and questionable venue quality. In the end, the Dominican Republic refurbished existing sites and produced beautiful new facilities.
Although a few logistical incidents occurred (a team was unable to shower when the athletes village lacked water, teams were missing tennis balls or towels), [1] U.S. team chief Roland Betts, commented "At times it has been a great struggle, but we are very excited and proud to see the venues. I believe these venues are as good as or better than any that have been created for the Pan American Games." Other attendees agreed that logistical and venue problems declined greatly during the Games.
Numerous protest marches were staged to call attention to austerity measures, including import taxes and spending cuts, and neglect of impoverished areas. During the Games, the protests were banned from the city. However, the Dominicans warmly embraced the Games with pride, especially when local heroes such as Félix Sánchez won the first local gold medal at the 400-meter hurdles and broke the Pan Am record at the games first week. [1]
While praising the first-rate facilities, critics decried the huge cost overruns, the high payroll of the organizers, and concerns over the Dominican Republic's ability to maintain the venues after the Games. [6]
1 | Host nation |
To sort this table by nation, total medal count, or any other column, click on the icon next to the column title.
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
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1 | ![]() | 118 | 80 | 73 | 271/270/269 |
2 | ![]() | 72 | 41 | 39 | 152 |
3 | ![]() | 29 | 57 | 42/41 | 128/127 |
4 | ![]() | 29 | 40 | 54 | 123 |
5 | ![]() | 20 | 27 | 32/31 | 79/78 |
^ The medal counts for the United States, Canada and Mexico are disputed[ citation needed ].
The 2003 games marked the return of basque pelota [7] and waterskiing to the Games. [8]
The 2003 Games' mascot was a tank top clad manatee named Tito. [9]
In 2003, Parapan American Games was not hosted in Santo Domingo, but rather in Mar del Plata, Argentina. The event featured 1,500 athletes from 28 countries competed in nine sporting events. [10] This was the 2nd and last Parapan American Games that was not tied to the Pan American Games.
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Cynthia Yazmín Valdez Pérez is an individual Mexican rhythmic gymnast born in Guadalajara who has won 10 Pan American Games medals—two gold, four silver and four bronze medals.
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Pan American Stadium is the name given to some venues built for the Pan American Games and may refer to the following:
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Table tennis competitions at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo were held from August 7 to 13, 2003 at the Table tennis center. The winners of the tournament secured a place at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
The women's football tournament at the 2003 Pan American Games was the 2nd. edition of the women's football competition at Pan American Games. It was held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from August 2 to August 15, 2003. Six U-23 teams competed. The defending champion, the United States, did not defend its title. The South American teams played with their U-20 teams. For the second time the women's tournament was included in the Pan Am Games.
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Luisito Pié, also known as Luis Pie, is a Haitian-Dominican taekwondo athlete who won the bronze medal in the 2016 Summer Olympics in the 58 kg category.
Dominican Republic competed in the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru from July 26 to August 11, 2019.
Nicaragua competed at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru from July 26 to August 11, 2019.
Three cities submitted bids to host the 2003 Pan American Games that were recognized by the Pan American Sports Organization. Santo Domingo was selected by PASO to host the XIV Pan American Games in the second round of voting on December 6, 1998, at its general assembly held in Panama City, Panama.
Taekwondo competitions at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru were held between July 26 to 29, 2019 at the Polideportivo Villa El Salvador, which also hosted the volleyball competitions.
During the Parade of Nations at the 2019 Pan American Games opening ceremony, on July 26, 2019, 41 athletes bearing the flags of their respective nations led their national delegations as they paraded into Estadio Nacional in the host city of Lima, Peru
Heyddys Estibalys Ysabel Valentín is a Dominican female fencer.
During the Parade of Nations at the 2023 Pan American Games opening ceremony, on October 20, 2023, athletes bearing the flags of their respective nations lead their national delegations as they paraded into National stadium in the host city of Santiago, Chile.