Pan-American Games

The Pan-American Games are a multi-sport, quadrennial festival for the nations of the Western Hemisphere, conducted in a similar manner to the OLYMPIC GAMES and held one year prior to them. A comparatively recent event, the first Pan-Am Games were held at Buenos Aires (Argentina) in 1951, when 19 nations were officially represented in 18 sports. Since then they have been celebrated at Mexico City (Mexico), 1955 and 1975; Chicago (US), 1959; São Paulo (Brazil), 1963; Winnipeg (Canada), 1967 and 1999; Cali (Colombia), 1971; San Juan (Puerto Rico), 1981; Caracas (Venezuela), 1983; Indianapolis (US), 1987; Havana (Cuba), 1991; Mar del Plata (Argentina), 1995; San Domingo (Dominican Republic), 2003; Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), 2007; and Guadalajara (Mexico), 2011. Canada did not officially compete in the 1951 Games (although a small group of Canadian swimmers did give a demonstration in synchronized swimming) but has been a consistent and successful competitor ever since, with Canadian athletes providing many world-class performances a variety of sports. Various attempts have been made to hold a winter version of the Pan-Am Games, but the concept met with little success and was finally abandoned in 1993.

The 5th Pan-Am Games at Winnipeg proved a fitting celebration for Canada's Centennial Year, 1967, when 2451 athletes from 29 countries participated in 29 sports. By 1999, when Winnipeg again hosted the Games, there were over 40 Western Hemisphere countries in attendance. It was the second time that Canada had hosted the event and the second time Winnipeg was chosen. Canadians won 64 gold medals, 52 silver and 80 bronze, an increase of 19 medals over the 1995 games in Mar del Plata.

Canada's most recent Pan-Am Games appearance, in 2007, resulted in a total of 137 medals (39 gold, 43 silver, 55 bronze), exceeding its total of 129 medal won in 2003. In 2011 Canadian athletes won 30 gold, 40 silver and 49 bronze for a total of 119 medals. Canada is currently ranked 3rd behind the US and Cuba for all-time medal wins.

Owing to conflicts with the scheduling of other major international sporting events, in recent years the Games have become more of a testing ground for less established athletes than a high-calibre competition. The 2015 Pan-Am Games will be held at TORONTO.

Author GERALD REDMOND

Links to Other Sites
La Fédération Internationale de Natation
The FINA website is dedicated to swimming, water polo, diving, synchronized swimming and open water swimming. Everything you want to know about noteworthy swimmers, rankings, regulations and major swimming competitions.

International Association of Athletics Federations
This organization covers track and field, cross-country running, and associated sports. Their very extensive website offers news about recent and upcoming competitions, detailed statistics, regulations, world rankings and feature articles.