Pan Am Games: When Do They Take Place?

The Pan American Games, also known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years, in the year before the Summer Olympics, for athletes from countries in North America, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The Pan American Games is the world's third-largest multi-sport event, with over 6000 athletes from 41 countries competing. The most recent edition of the Games was held in Santiago, Chile, in October and November 2023, and the next will be held in 2027.

The Pan American Games are held every four years

The Pan American Games, also known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years. The games are hosted in the year before the Summer Olympics and act as a direct qualifier for them. The Pan American Games is the world's third-largest multi-sport event, after the Olympic Summer Games and the Asian Games. More than 6,000 athletes from 41 countries compete in the Pan American Games.

The Pan American Games include all the sports and disciplines featured in the Summer Olympics, along with some additional sports governed by international federations recognised by the IOC. Certain sports and events in the Pan American Games are direct qualifiers for the upcoming Olympic Summer Games.

The Pan American Games were first held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1951. However, the idea for the games was conceived two decades earlier in 1932 at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. During these games, representatives from Latin America proposed creating a regional competition for the Americas. This proposal led to the Pan American Sports Congress in Buenos Aires in 1940, where the city was chosen to host the first Pan American Games in 1942. Unfortunately, these plans were postponed due to World War II.

The inaugural Pan American Games in 1951 featured 18 sports and over 2,500 athletes from 22 countries. The games have been held every four years since, with the latest edition taking place in Santiago, Chile, in 2023. The next Pan American Games will be held in 2027, with Barranquilla, Colombia, as the host city.

The Games are a qualifier for the Summer Olympics

The Pan American Games, also known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event held in the Americas. The games are conducted every four years, acting as a direct qualifier for the Summer Olympics. The Pan Am Games are the second oldest continental games in the world, with the first edition of the games held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1951.

The Pan Am Games are governed by the Panam Sports Organization, with the latest edition of the games held in Santiago, Chile, from October 20 to November 5, 2023. The games featured over 9,000 athletes from across the Americas, competing in 39 sports and nearly 400 events. The Pan Am Games are a platform for athletes from the Americas to showcase their talent and qualify for the Summer Olympics.

The games are held among athletes from nations of the Americas, and the host city is chosen six years in advance. The host city is responsible for organizing and funding the games, following the guidelines set by the Olympic Charter and the Panam Sports Organization (PASO). PASO is the decision-making body that selects the host city and oversees the planning and management of the Pan Am Games.

The Pan Am Games have a rich history, with the idea for the games first proposed at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The games promote unity and competition among the nations of the Americas, providing a platform for athletes to pursue their dreams of competing on the world stage. The games are known for their cultural diversity and vibrant opening and closing ceremonies, which showcase the host country's traditions and heritage.

The Pan Am Games are an important qualifier event for the Summer Olympics, offering athletes from the region a direct pathway to the biggest sporting stage in the world. The games have grown in scale and popularity over the years, with an increasing number of athletes and sports being featured. The next edition of the Pan Am Games, the XX Pan American Games, will be held in 2027, with the host city yet to be announced.

The Games are governed by the Panam Sports Organisation

The Pan American Games, also known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event held in the Americas. The games are governed by the Panam Sports Organisation (formerly the Pan American Sports Organisation), which is an international organisation representing the 41 National Olympic Committees of the American continent. The organisation is affiliated with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its affiliated bodies, including the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC).

The Panam Sports Organisation's flagship event is the quadrennial Pan American Games, which has been held since 1951. The games are a direct qualifier to the Summer Olympic Games and athletes from all 41 nations of the Americas compete. The organisation is also responsible for the Parapan American Games, which are held for athletes with physical disabilities, and the Pan American Winter Games, which have only been held once, in 1990.

The Panam Sports Organisation is responsible for choosing the host city for each Pan American Games, as well as overseeing the planning of the games, updating and approving the sports program, and negotiating sponsorship and broadcasting rights. The host city is responsible for organising and funding the games, in accordance with the Olympic Charter and rules.

The Pan American Games Movement, which the Panam Sports Organisation is a part of, consists of international sports federations, National Olympic Committees recognised by the organisation, and organising committees for each specific Pan American Games. The Movement uses symbols such as a flag and torch to represent the ideals embodied in the Pan American Games charter. The Panam Sports Organisation flag displays the organisation's logo on a white background, with the Olympic Rings added in 1988 to highlight the close association with the IOC and the Olympic Games.

The Panam Sports Organisation also has its own anthem, which was first played in 2011, and a mascot, which is introduced at each Pan American Games and represents the cultural heritage of the host country.

The 2023 Games were held in Chile

The 2023 Pan American Games, also known as the XIX Pan American Games, were held in Santiago, Chile, from 20 October to 5 November. This was the first time Chile hosted the games and the eighth time for South America.

The games were organised by the Santiago Organizing Committee for the 2023 Pan and Parapan American Games. The budget for the games was $507 million, with $170 million reserved for building ten new sporting venues and upgrading six arenas. The venues spanned four regions of the country: Santiago, Valparaíso, O'Higgins, and Biobío.

The opening ceremony was held on the evening of 20 October at the Estadio Nacional. The ceremony showcaseed Chile's cultural diversity and was attended by President Gabriel Boric, IOC President Thomas Bach, and Panam Sports President Neven Ilic. The games were opened by President Boric and the cauldron was lit by Lucy Lopez, a 1951 Pan American Games silver medallist, along with Chile's two Olympic gold medallists, Nicolás Massú and Fernando González.

The 2023 Games featured 425 events across 39 sports, including breaking, skateboarding, and sport climbing, which made their Pan-Am Games debut. Esports was also included as a demonstration sport. Over 6,000 athletes from 40 National Olympic Committees competed in the games, with the United States sending the largest contingent of 631 athletes.

The closing ceremony was held on the evening of 5 November at the Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida. The Panam Sports flag was handed over to the officials of Barranquilla and the Caribbean region of Colombia, the host city of the 2027 Pan American Games. The games were declared closed by Panam Sports President Neven Ilic, and the cultural segment was headlined by local artist Joe Vasconcellos and American-Dominican singer Prince Royce.

The 2019 Games were held in Peru

The Pan American Games, also known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event held in the Americas. The event is hosted every four years, acting as a direct qualifier to the Summer Olympic Games. The Pan American Games is the second oldest continental games in the world.

The 2019 Pan American Games, officially the XVIII Pan American Games, were held in Lima, Peru, from July 26 to August 11, 2019. The Games were hosted in venues in and around Lima and were the largest sporting event ever held in the country. The opening ceremony took place on July 26 at the National Stadium of Peru, and the Games were declared open by former Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra.

Lima was awarded the Games on October 11, 2013, beating three other bids (La Punta, Argentina; Santiago, Chile; and Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela) in the first round of voting. The city had previously bid to host the 2015 Pan Am Games but lost to Toronto. The 2019 Games were the first Pan American Games to be held in Peru and the seventh to take place in South America.

The mascot for the Lima 2019 Games was Milco, inspired by traditional Cuchimilco sculptures, which were said to have been created to ward off bad energies. The colours of Milco's body, shorts, and t-shirt also represented the colours of the Peruvian flag. The official logo of the Games was designed by Peruvian graphic designers Juan Diego Sanz and Jorge Luis Zárate and was inspired by the amancay, an indigenous flower that blooms from June 24 to September 30.

The 2019 Games featured 39 sports and 62 disciplines, with a total of 424 events—far more than on the Summer Olympic program. In addition to the core Olympic sports, the Pan Am Games included events in bowling, racquetball, squash, and water skiing. The events were held in various Lima districts and neighbouring cities, with most concentrated in the clusters of VIDENA, Pan American Park, the Sports Village of Callao, and a sports complex in Costa Verde.

The total budget for the Games was estimated at US$1.2 billion, with $470 million allocated to sports infrastructure, $180 million to building the Pan American Village, $430 million to organisation, and $106 million for other expenses. The Games provided accommodation for 9,500 athletes and team officials in a complex with 1,700 units in Villa El Salvador.

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