1987 Pan American Games
Encyclopedia
The 1987 Pan American Games
, officially known as the X Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event
which was celebrated in Indianapolis
, Indiana
, United States
, from 7 August to 23 August 1987. Over 4,300 athletes from 38 countries in the Americas
competed in 30 sports earning 1,015 medals. Events were held at 23 venues in and around Indianapolis. The official mascot for the games was Amigo, a green parrot.
, Chile
, was originally named the host of the 10th Pan American Games, but it withdrew in 1984 due to the political and financial problems. Quito
, Ecuador
, was named to replace Santiago, but it also withdrew, in late 1984. Desperate, PASO held a new election. Indianapolis was planning to bid on the 1991 Games, but, at the request of the United States Olympic Committee
, submitted a bid for 1987. Since many sports facilities were already in place, PASO announced on December 18, 1985 that Indianapolis would be the host. Havana
, Cuba
, was also interested, but PASO appeased Fidel Castro
by agreeing to give Havana the 1991 games provided that Cuba participated at Indianapolis.
The city of Indianapolis created an organizing committee called Pan American Ten/Indianapolis (PAX/I). It had eighteen operating divisions, 300 paid staff, and 37,000 volunteers.
.
with 6,500 performers in the largest outdoor live entertainment show held in the United States up to that point. It was also the largest Opening Ceremony of the Pan Am games yet. Dignitaries included IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch
, Indianapolis Mayor William H. Hudnut III
, Indiana Governor Robert D. Orr
, and PASO President Mario Vazquez Raña
. US Vice President George Bush
officially opened the games.
Flag bearers in the Parade of Nations included the games' oldest athlete, 70-year-old yachtsman Durwood Knowles of the Bahamas, basketball star José Ortiz
of Puerto Rico, and baseball pitcher Jim Abbott
of the United States.
The final leg of the torch relay had the flame passed from Oscar Robertson
to Kristie Phillips
to Wilma Rudolph
who lit the cauldron.
The closing ceremony took place in the Hoosier Dome. The headline act was Cuban American singer Gloria Estefan
and her band Miami Sound Machine.
, designed by Jerry Reynolds of Perennial Pictures in Indianapolis. He represents friendliness and festivity. The official music of the X Pan American Games was Pan American Fanfare by Lalo Schifrin
.
with a bid of $4,000,000, and Brent Musburger
hosted. CBS aired 26 hours of coverage, all on weekend afternoons, including live coverage of the Opening Ceremony from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Additionally, CBS provided the world feed. The ratings were boosted by the participation of Cuban athletes on U.S. soil, providing a USA-Cuba showdown in many events.
was the Indianapolis Museum of Art
exhibition Art of the Fantastic: Latin America, 1920-1987. The exhibition presented 125 works by artists from a variety of nations, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico, the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Well-known artists such as Frida Kahlo
and Roberto Matta
were featured, as well as artists who had never exhibited outside their native country. The show was the first large-scale presentation of 20th century Latin American art in the U.S. in over 20 years and was the museum’s first contemporary exhibition to travel.
To sort this table by nation, total medal count, or any other column, click on the icon next to the column title.
Note
The medal counts for the United States
and Canada
are disputed.
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
, officially known as the X Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event
Multi-sport event
A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports between organized teams of athletes from nation-states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of international significance was the modern Olympic Games.Many...
which was celebrated in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, from 7 August to 23 August 1987. Over 4,300 athletes from 38 countries in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
competed in 30 sports earning 1,015 medals. Events were held at 23 venues in and around Indianapolis. The official mascot for the games was Amigo, a green parrot.
Host city election and organization
SantiagoSantiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, was originally named the host of the 10th Pan American Games, but it withdrew in 1984 due to the political and financial problems. Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, was named to replace Santiago, but it also withdrew, in late 1984. Desperate, PASO held a new election. Indianapolis was planning to bid on the 1991 Games, but, at the request of the United States Olympic Committee
United States Olympic Committee
The United States Olympic Committee is a non-profit organization that serves as the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States and coordinates the relationship between the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency and various...
, submitted a bid for 1987. Since many sports facilities were already in place, PASO announced on December 18, 1985 that Indianapolis would be the host. Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, was also interested, but PASO appeased Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
by agreeing to give Havana the 1991 games provided that Cuba participated at Indianapolis.
The city of Indianapolis created an organizing committee called Pan American Ten/Indianapolis (PAX/I). It had eighteen operating divisions, 300 paid staff, and 37,000 volunteers.
Venues
The 1987 Pan Am Games were held at 23 sites total. The athletes village, which provided lodging and dining for the athletes, was located at Fort Benjamin HarrisonFort Benjamin Harrison
Fort Benjamin Harrison was a U.S. Army post located in suburban Lawrence, Indiana, northeast of Indianapolis. It is named for the 23rd United States President, Benjamin Harrison. Land was purchased in 1903, with the post being officially named for President Harrison in honor of Indianapolis being...
.
- Brown County State ParkBrown County State ParkBrown County State Park is an Indiana state park on near Nashville in Brown County, Indiana in the United States. The park opened to the public in 1929, and is Indiana's largest state park. It was the most visited Indiana State Park in 2008 with more than 1.3 million visitors per year...
- biking - Bush StadiumBush StadiumOwen J. "Donie" Bush Stadium is the name of a stadium formerly used by minor league baseball team Indianapolis Indians in Indianapolis, Indiana. Its street address is 1501 West 16th Street...
- baseball - Eagle Creek ParkEagle Creek ParkEagle Creek Park is the largest park in Indianapolis, and one of the largest municipal parks in the United States. It is located at 7840 W. 56th Street in Indianapolis, Indiana and covers approximately 1,400 acres of a reservoir and 3,900 acres of land. There are about 10 miles of paths within...
- archery, canoeing, rowing - Circle Theatre - weightlifting
- Hinkle FieldhouseHinkle FieldhouseHinkle Fieldhouse is a basketball arena located on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. When it was built in 1928, it was the largest basketball arena in the United States, and it retained that distinction until 1950. It is the sixth-oldest college basketball arena still in...
- volleyball - Hoosier DomeRCA DomeRCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons ....
- closing ceremonies, gymnastics, handball - Indiana Convention CenterIndiana Convention CenterThe Indiana Convention Center is a convention center located in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. It contains over of open exhibit space and almost of group meeting space. It was finished in late 1983 along with the Hoosier Dome , which it was connected to prior the Dome's deconstruction in 2008....
- boxing - Indiana University NatatoriumIndiana University NatatoriumIndiana University Natatorium is a swimming complex on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis campus in Indianapolis, USA. It also serves as the home of the IUPUI School of Physical Education with its offices on the second level and the Polaris Fitness Center on the first level...
- diving, swimming, synchronized swimming - IU Indianapolis Track and Soccer StadiumIU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer StadiumIU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium is the home of the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Jaguars cross country and soccer teams located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It currently has seats for 12,100 people...
- athletics - Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayIndianapolis Motor SpeedwayThe Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....
- opening ceremonies, speed roller skating - Indianapolis Tennis CenterIndianapolis Tennis CenterIndianapolis Tennis Center was the venue for the Indianapolis Tennis Championships tournament in Indianapolis, Indiana. Built in 1979, it reportedly held 10,000 spectators and also was the site of the tennis events for the 1987 Pan American Games. Demolition on the venue took place in the summer...
- tennis - Kuntz Memorial Soccer StadiumKuntz StadiumKuntz Memorial Soccer Stadium is an outdoor soccer facility located in Indianapolis. It is the location of the IHSAA State Soccer finals. It contains two FIFA-regulated game fields and seats 5,257 people. Various championship games have been played in this facility...
- soccer - Lake MichiganLake MichiganLake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
- yachting - Major Taylor VelodromeMajor Taylor VelodromeThe Major Taylor Velodrome is an open-air cycling track in Indianapolis named for Marshall Taylor. The 333.34 meter long track with 28 degree banked turns and 9 degree straights. It has played host to many national and international competitions, including the 1987 Pan American Games...
- cycling - Market Square ArenaMarket Square ArenaMarket Square Arena was an indoor arena, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Completed in 1974, at a cost of $23 million, it seated 16,530, for basketball and 15,993, for ice hockey.-History:...
- basketball
Ceremonies
The Opening ceremony was held on the main straightaway of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. About 80,000 spectators watched a performance produced by The Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
with 6,500 performers in the largest outdoor live entertainment show held in the United States up to that point. It was also the largest Opening Ceremony of the Pan Am games yet. Dignitaries included IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch
Juan Antonio Samaranch
Don Juan Antonio Samaranch y Torelló, 1st Marquis of Samaranch, Grandee of Spain , known in Catalan as Joan Antoni Samaranch i Torelló , was a Catalan Spanish sports administrator who served as the seventh President of the International Olympic Committee from 1980 to 2001...
, Indianapolis Mayor William H. Hudnut III
William H. Hudnut III
William Herbert Hudnut III was the mayor of Indianapolis from 1976 to 1992. A Republican, his four terms made him the city's longest serving mayor. He previously represented the Indianapolis area in Congress from 1973 to 1975 but was defeated in his race for a second term.-Early life and...
, Indiana Governor Robert D. Orr
Robert D. Orr
Robert Dunkerson Orr was an American political leader and the 45th Governor of Indiana from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party.-Early life:...
, and PASO President Mario Vazquez Raña
Mario Vazquez Raña
Mario Vázquez Raña is a Mexican businessman and sports administrator, who has served on both national and Olympic committees...
. US Vice President George Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
officially opened the games.
Flag bearers in the Parade of Nations included the games' oldest athlete, 70-year-old yachtsman Durwood Knowles of the Bahamas, basketball star José Ortiz
José Ortiz
José Rafael Ortiz , better known as Piculín or Picu, is a retired Puerto Rican professional basketball player...
of Puerto Rico, and baseball pitcher Jim Abbott
Jim Abbott
James Anthony Abbott is a former Major League Baseball pitcher, who played despite having been born without a right hand. He played for the California Angels, the New York Yankees, the Chicago White Sox, and the Milwaukee Brewers, from 1989 to 1999.He graduated from Flint Central High School and...
of the United States.
The final leg of the torch relay had the flame passed from Oscar Robertson
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson , nicknamed "The Big O", is a former American NBA player with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks...
to Kristie Phillips
Kristie Phillips
Kristie Phillips-Bannister , formerly known as Kristie Phillips, is a retired American elite gymnast. The 1987 senior U.S. National Champion and one of the American team's strongest and most visible competitors in the mid-1980s, Phillips was considered to be one of the front-runners for the 1988...
to Wilma Rudolph
Wilma Rudolph
Wilma Glodean Rudolph was an American athlete. Rudolph was considered the fastest woman in the world in the 1960s and competed in two Olympic Games, in 1956 and in 1960....
who lit the cauldron.
The closing ceremony took place in the Hoosier Dome. The headline act was Cuban American singer Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
and her band Miami Sound Machine.
Symbols
The logo of the 1987 Pan Am Games consisted of five stylized Xs, the Roman numeral for ten. Designed by Michael Hayes of the JMH Corporation in Indianapolis, the seven colors represent the wildlife and flags of western hemisphere countries. The mascot was Amigo, a green parrotParrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
, designed by Jerry Reynolds of Perennial Pictures in Indianapolis. He represents friendliness and festivity. The official music of the X Pan American Games was Pan American Fanfare by Lalo Schifrin
Lalo Schifrin
Lalo Schifrin is an Argentine composer, pianist and conductor. He is best known for his film and TV scores, such as the "Theme from Mission: Impossible". He has received four Grammy Awards and six Oscar nominations...
.
Television
The rights for the 1987 games were won by CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
with a bid of $4,000,000, and Brent Musburger
Brent Musburger
Brent Woody Musburger is an American sportscaster for the ESPN and ABC television networks. Formerly with CBS Sports and one of the original members of their legendary program The NFL Today, Musburger has covered NASCAR, NBA, MLB, NCAA football and basketball games. Musburger has also served as a...
hosted. CBS aired 26 hours of coverage, all on weekend afternoons, including live coverage of the Opening Ceremony from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Additionally, CBS provided the world feed. The ratings were boosted by the participation of Cuban athletes on U.S. soil, providing a USA-Cuba showdown in many events.
Indianapolis Museum of Art exhibition
Coinciding with the Pan American GamesPan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
was the Indianapolis Museum of Art
Indianapolis Museum of Art
The Indianapolis Museum of Art is an encyclopedic art museum located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The museum, which underwent a $74 million expansion in 2005, is located on a campus on the near northwest area outside downtown Indianapolis, northwest of Crown Hill Cemetery.The...
exhibition Art of the Fantastic: Latin America, 1920-1987. The exhibition presented 125 works by artists from a variety of nations, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico, the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Well-known artists such as Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo de Rivera was a Mexican painter, born in Coyoacán, and perhaps best known for her self-portraits....
and Roberto Matta
Roberto Matta
Roberto Sebastián Antonio Matta Echaurren , better known as Roberto Matta, was one of Chile's best-known painters and a seminal figure in 20th century abstract expressionist and surrealist art....
were featured, as well as artists who had never exhibited outside their native country. The show was the first large-scale presentation of 20th century Latin American art in the U.S. in over 20 years and was the museum’s first contemporary exhibition to travel.
Participating nations
38 nations participated in the tenth Pan American Games. Four countries competed for the first time in 1987: Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, and Grenada.Medal count
| 1 | Host nation |
To sort this table by nation, total medal count, or any other column, click on the icon next to the column title.
| 1 | 1 | 169/168 | 120/118 | 81/83 | 370/369 |
| 2 | 75 | 52 | 48 | 175 | |
| 3 | 30 | 56/57 | 75 | 161/162 | |
| 4 | 14 | 14 | 33 | 61 | |
| 5 | 12 | 14 | 22 | 48 | |
Note
The medal counts for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
are disputed.
Sports
- Thirty sports were contested at the tenth Pan American Games for a total of 321 events. Five were contested for the first time in 1987, including handballTeam handballHandball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
.
Archery
AthleticsAthletics at the 1987 Pan American GamesThe Athletics Competition at the 1987 Pan American Games was held in Indianapolis, United States. The events were competed at the IU Indianapolis Track and Soccer Stadium.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:*...
Baseball
BasketballBasketball at the 1987 Pan American GamesThe Men's Basketball Tournament at the 1987 Pan American Games was held from August 9 to August 23, 1987 at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, United States.-Participating nations:-Final ranking:-References:**...
BoxingBoxing at the 1987 Pan American GamesThe Men's Boxing Tournament at the 1987 Pan American Games was held in the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, United States from August 8 to August 23.- Medal winners :-Medal table:-External links:*..._pictogram.svg.png)
Canoeing_pictogram.svg.png)
CyclingCycling at the 1987 Pan American GamesThis page shows the results of the cycling competition at the 1987 Pan American Games, held from August 7 to August 23, 1987 in Indianapolis, United States. There were a total number of seven men's and three women's events. For the first time women competed in cycling at the Pan American Games...
DivingDiving at the 1987 Pan American GamesA Diving Competition for men and women took place at the 1987 Pan American Games, held from August 7 to August 23, 1987 in Indianapolis, United States. There were two events each for men and women. Events were held at the Indiana University Natatorium....
Equestrian
Fencing
Football (soccer)Football at the 1987 Pan American GamesThe tenth edition of the Men's Football Tournament at the Pan American Games was held at the William Kuntz Soccer Center in Indianapolis, United States from August 9 to August 21, 1987. Twelve teams competed, with title defender Uruguay missing..._pictogram.svg.png)
Gymnastics
HandballHandball at the 1987 Pan American GamesThe Men's Handball Tournament at the 1987 Pan American Games was held from August 9 to August 17, 1987 in Indianapolis, United States. The sport made its debut at the Pan Am Games. The women competed from August 10 to August 16.-Final ranking:...
Hockey
JudoJudo at the 1987 Pan American GamesThe Judo Competition for men and women at the 1987 Pan American Games was held from August 7 to August 23, 1987 in Indianapolis, United States...
Modern Pentathlon
Roller skating
Rowing
Sailing
Shooting
Softball
SwimmingSwimming at the 1987 Pan American GamesThe swimming competition at the 1987 Pan American Games took place from August to August 15 at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.-Men’s events:-Women’s events:-References:***...
Synchronized swimmingSynchronized swimming at the 1987 Pan American GamesThe Synchronized Swimming Competition events took place at the 1987 Pan American Games, held from August 7 to August 23, 1987 in Indianapolis, United States. There were three medal events. Events were held at the Indiana University Natatorium.-Solo:...
Table tennis
Taekwondo
Tennis_pictogram.svg.png)
VolleyballVolleyball at the 1987 Pan American GamesThe Men's and Women's Volleyball Tournament took place during the 1987 Pan American Games, which was held from August 7 to August 23, 1987 in Indianapolis, United States. Events were held at the Hinkle Fieldhouse.-Preliminary Round Robin:-----Final Round:...
Water polo
Weightlifting
WrestlingWrestling at the 1987 Pan American GamesThis page shows the results of the Men's Wrestling Competition at the 1987 Pan American Games, held from August 7 to August 23, 1987 in Indianapolis, United States.-Freestyle :-Freestyle :-Freestyle :...