The 18th Pan American Games – the largest ever – are actually underway in Lima, Peru, with the Opening Ceremony tonight at the Estadio Nacional and the competition continuing through 11 August.
There was some concern about whether all of the construction would get done, but the venues and the 1,700-unit Villa El Salvador athlete-village facility are open and operating. But the Games are big and have been expanding relentlessly:
● 2003: 5,223 athletes in 338 events in 35 sports in Santo Domingo (DOM)
● 2007: 5,633 athletes in 334 events in 34 sports in Rio de Janeiro (BRA)
● 2011: 5,996 athletes in 361 events in 36 sports in Guadalajara (MEX)
● 2015: 6,132 athletes in 364 events in 36 sports in Toronto (CAN)
● 2019: ~6,700 athletes in 419 events in 39 sports in Lima (PER)
The organizers have noted that more than 100 Olympic medal winners will be in Lima, but the key to the 2019 edition is the Olympic qualifying opportunities. Of the 39 sports, 21 will offer some form of qualification for Tokyo 2020, including archery, artistic swimming, athletics, badminton, diving, equestrian (dressage, eventing and jumping), handball, hockey, karate (kate and kumite), modern pentathlon, sailing, shooting, surfing, swimming, table tennis, tennis, water polo and weightlifting.
All 41 countries which are members of the Pan Am Sports confederation will participate, with the U.S. sending the largest team at over 600. The sports and events:
● Aquatics (50)
. Artistic Swimming (2)
. Diving (10)
. Open Water Swimming (2)
. Swimming (34)
. Water Polo (2)
● Archery (8)
● Athletics (48)
● Badminton (5)
● Baseball (1)
● Basketball (4)
● Basque Pelota (10)
● Bodybuilding (2)
● Bowling (4)
● Boxing (15)
● Canoeing (18)
. Sprint (12)
. Slalom (6)
● Cycling (22)
. BMX (4)
. Mountain Bike (2)
. Road (4)
. Track (12)
● Equestrian (6)
● Fencing (12)
● Field Hockey (2)
● Football (5)
● Golf (3)
● Gymnastics (24)
. Artistic (14)
. Rhythmic (8)
. Trampoline (2)
● Handball (2)
● Judo (14)
● Karate (14)
● Modern Pentathlon (5)
● Racquetball (6)
● Roller Sports (8)
. Figure Skating (2)
. Speed Skating (6)
● Rowing (14)
● Rugby Sevens (2)
● Sailing (11)
● Shooting (15)
● Softball (2)
● Squash (7)
● Surfing (8)
● Table Tennis (7)
● Taekwondo (12)
● Tennis (5)
● Triathlon (3)
● Volleyball (4)
. Beach (2)
. Indoor (2)
● Water Skiing (10)
● Weightlifting (14)
● Wrestling (18)
. Freestyle (12)
. Greco-Roman (6)
The program is so massive that the governing Pan Am Sports board has already signaled that it has to be trimmed in the future.
The Games will be shown on ESPN channels in the United States, with about 200 hours scheduled across ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN Deportes. Look for results here.
