The Pan American Games is a major sporting event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held among athletes from nations of the Americas, every four years in the year before the Summer Olympic Games. The only Winter Pan American Games were held in 1990. In 2021, there will be a Junior Pan American Games for young athletes. The Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) is the governing body of the Pan American Games movement, whose structure and actions are defined by the Olympic Charter.
The fifth Pan American Games were held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, from July 23 to August 6, 1967.
The 1983 Pan American Games were held in Caracas, Venezuela from August 14 to August 29, 1983. The games were the first major international competition to include relatively accurate steroid testing. After 15 athletes, mostly weightlifters, tested positive, many others — including 12 American track and field athletes — came down with injuries, got sick, or found other reasons to withdraw from competition and avoid the test.
The 11th Pan American Games were held in Havana, Cuba from August 2 to August 18, 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 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, 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 was an Olympic qualification for 13 International Federations (IFs).
The 2011 Pan American Games, officially the XVI Pan American Games, was an international multi-sport event that was held from October 14–30, 2011, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, 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 have ended.
The Rio de Janeiro bid for the 2007 Pan American Games was a successful campaign, first recognised by the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) in August 2001. Rio de Janeiro began working on the idea of staging the 2007 Pan American Games during the 1999 Pan American Games held in Winnipeg, Canada. There was a strong desire among sportspersons and officials at that time to work so that the best of national sport could be showcased at home, in a large event using state-of-the-art fields-of-play. Based on this strategic vision, the Brazilian Olympic Committee (BOC) General Assembly decided in December 1999 that Brazil would not bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympics and would instead focus its efforts on the bid for the 2007 Pan American Games. The important results obtained by the Brazilian delegation at the Winnipeg Games and the wide publicity for the event in Brazil encouraged sports authorities to definitely support the Rio de Janeiro bid to host the 2007 Pan American Games.
The Swimming competition at the XVI Pan American Games was October 15–22, 2011 at the Scotiabank Aquatics Center in Guadalajara, Mexico. The open water events swam in the waters off API Maritime Terminal in Puerto Vallarta.
Three cities submitted bids to host the 2015 Pan American Games and Parapan games that were recognized by the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO), all three of which made the PASO Executive Committee's shortlist. The games were awarded to Toronto, Ontario, Canada on November 6, 2009. The other shortlisted cities were Lima, Peru and Bogota, Colombia. Toronto won an absolute majority of votes after just one round of voting, eliminating the need for subsequent rounds of voting. PASO delegates and the media identified a number of factors in its favor, including the size of the country, safety, experience in staging multi sporting events, government guarantees, security and cleanliness. Moreover, the other two nations are not as developed, and with the troubles faced with the 2011 Pan American Games, Toronto was seen as the favourite. Mario Vazquez Rana, the president of the Pan American Sports Organization was also known to be favouring Toronto. Moreover, the head of Lima's bid Ricardo Mungi even admitted Toronto was the best choice as they had the facilities and budget to stage the games.
The 2015 Parapan American Games, officially the V Parapan American Games and commonly known as the Toronto 2015 ParaPan-Am Games, were a major international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities, celebrated in the tradition of the Parapan American Games as governed by the Americas Paralympic Committee, held from August 7 to 15, 2015 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Marking the first Parapan American games hosted by Canada, and the second major Paralympic sports event hosted by Toronto since the 1976 Summer Paralympics, the Games were held at venues in Toronto and four other Golden Horseshoe communities. Both the Parapan American and Pan American Games were organized by the Toronto 2015 Organizing Committee (TO2015).
Four cities submitted bids to host the 2019 Pan American Games and Parapan games that were recognized by the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO), all four of which made the PASO Executive Committee's shortlist. PASO selected a host city for the 2019 Pan American Games at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel in Toronto, Canada on October 11, 2013, which Lima won. The other shortlisted cities were Santiago, Chile, La Punta, Argentina, and Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela.
PASO received bids two to host the 2023 Pan American Games and Parapan games from Santiago, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Later in the bidding process, Buenos Aires withdrew their bid, leaving Santiago as the sole bidder. Santiago was elected as the host city on November 4, 2017.
The 2007 Parapan American Games, officially the III Parapan American Games, were a major international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities, celebrated in the tradition of the Parapan American Games as governed by the Americas Paralympic Committee, held from August 12 to 19, 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Organized by the Rio de Janeiro Organizing Committee (CO-Rio) and the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (BPC), it marked the first time that the Parapan American Games were staged in the same city and followed directly after the Pan American Games.
Two cities submitted bids to host the 2007 Pan American Games that were recognized by the Pan American Sports Organization. PASO selected Rio de Janeiro, Brazil over San Antonio, United States as the host for 15th Pan American Games on August 24, 2002, at its general assembly held in Mexico City, Mexico by a vote of 30 to 21.
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.
Havana, Cuba was the only non-withdrawn bid to host the 1991 Pan American Games. At the Pan American Games Assembly, from November 12 to 14, 1986, in Bridgetown, Barbados, Mar del Plata withdrew its bid, leaving Havana as the winner to host the Games.
Two cities initially submitted bids to host the 1987 Pan American Games that were recognized by the Pan American Sports Organization. On July 12, 1981, Santiago was selected over Quito by PASO to host the X Pan American Games after the first round of voting at its general assembly held in Caraballeda, Venezuela.
Two cities submitted bids to host the 1975 Pan American Games that were recognized by the Pan American Sports Organization. On August 29, 1969, Santiago was selected unanimously over San Juan to host the VII Pan American Games by PASO at its 10th general assembly, held in Cali, Colombia.
Two cities submitted bids to host the 1979 Pan American Games that were recognized by the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO). However, Bolivia dropped out of the race, leaving San Juan as the only candidate city. On May 31, 1973, San Juan was selected to host the VIII Pan American Games by PASO at its general assembly in Santiago, Chile.
Four cities submitted bids to host the 1983 Pan American Games that were recognized by the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO); however, only one city, Hamilton, Ontario submitted their bid on time. On April 23, 1977, Caracas, Venezuela was selected over Hamilton, Canada in a two-city vote to host the IX Pan American Games by the PASO at its general assembly in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
