The Pan American Games is a continental multi-sport 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. 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 (PASO) 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 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 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 South American Games, formerly the Southern Cross Games is a regional multi-sport event held between nations from South America, organized by the ODESUR (acronym for "Organización Deportiva Suramericana" – South American Sports Organization.
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.
Chile is one of participating countries in the Pan American Games, the largest multi-sport event in the Americas. The Chilean Olympic Committee (COCH) is the National Olympic Committee for the country and the main organizer for its participation at the Pan American Games.
The Uruguay–Argentina–Chile–Paraguay 2030 FIFA World Cup bid, also known as the South American Bid or simply the South Bid, was an unsuccessful joint bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup by Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile. The tournament's name would be Centenary World Cup.
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.
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 2017 South American Youth Games, also known as the II South American Youth Games, were a multi-sport event celebrated in Santiago, Chile. All 14 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of the ODESUR were expected to compete.
The 2023 Parapan American Games, officially the VII Pan American Games and commonly known as the Santiago 2023 Parapan-Am Games, were an international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities. It celebrated the tradition of the Parapan American Games as governed by the Americas Paralympic Committee and was held from November 17 to 26 in Santiago, Chile.
The 2027 Pan American Games, officially the XX Pan American Games and commonly known as Lima 2027, is an upcoming international multi-sport event governed by the Panam Sports Organization. It will be held for the second time in Peru's capital, Lima.
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.
Three cities submitted bids to host the 1971 Pan American Games that were recognized by the Pan American Sports Organization. On July 22, 1967, Cali was selected over Santiago and Champ, Missouri by PASO at its general assembly, held at the Manitoba Medical College in Winnipeg, Canada, to host the VI Pan American Games.
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.
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.
