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 second Pan American Games opened on March 12, 1955, in the University Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico, in front of a capacity crowd of 100,000 spectators.
The sixth Pan American Games were held in Cali, Colombia, from July 30 to August 13, 1971. A total of 2,935 athletes from 32 countries participated in seventeen sports.
The seventh Pan American Games 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 12th Pan American Games were held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, from March 12 to March 26, 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 South American Sports Organization.
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 in Buenos Aires, Argentina between 6 and 18 October 2018. They were the first Summer Youth Olympic Games held outside of Asia, and the first Youth Games for either summer or winter held outside Eurasia. It was the second Olympic Games held in South America after the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Colombia has participated in all editions of the Pan American games since its inception in 1951, except in 1959 and 1963. Hurdler Jaime Aparicio Rodewaldt won the country's first medal at the inaugural edition of the games in Buenos Aires 1951, a gold medal at the 400 m hurdles. The country is ranked seventh in the all-time Pan American games medal table. Cali, the capital of the Colombian department of Valle del Cauca, held the 1971 Pan American Games, and to date, the only time Colombia hosted the games. Its best performance was at the 2019 Edition in Lima, where it earned 28 golden medals, however, their best rank was at Toronto 2015 ranking fifth. The nation has won a total of 136 golden medals, and 568 overall, with weightlifting, roller skating and cycling as the most successful sports.
The 2019 Pan American Games, officially the XVIII Pan American Games and commonly known as the Lima 2019 Pan-Am Games or Lima 2019, were a multi-sport event governed by the Panam Sports Organization, was held in Lima, Peru from July 26 to August 11, 2019, with preliminary rounds in certain events having begun on July 24, 2019.
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.
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, will be the 19th edition of the Pan American Games and an international multi-sport event scheduled to be held from October 20 to November 5, 2023 in Santiago, Chile.
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.
One city submitted a bid to host the 1995 Pan American Games that was recognized by the Pan American Sports Organization (OPEPA). Honoring an agreement that was made after Mar del Plata withdrew their bid for the 1991 Pan American Games, OPEDA selected Mar del Plata as the host city for the 1995 games at the ODEPA Assembly in Havana, Cuba in October 1989.
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.
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.
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 lead their national delegations as they paraded into Estadio Nacional in the host city of Lima, Peru
