2011 Pan American Games
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Pan American Games, officially the XVI Pan American Games, was an international multi-sport event
that was held from October 14–30, 2011 in Guadalajara
, Jalisco
, Mexico
. Some events were held in the nearby cities of Ciudad Guzmán
, Puerto Vallarta
, Lagos de Moreno
and Tapalpa
. It was the largest multi-sport event
of the year, with approximately 6,000 athletes from 42 nations participating in 36 sports. Both the Pan American and Parapan American Games
were organized by the Guadalajara 2011 Organizing Committee (COPAG). The 2011 Pan American Games were the third Pan American Games
hosted by Mexico (the first country to do so) and the first held in the state of Jalisco
. Previously, Mexico hosted the 1955 Pan American Games
and the 1975 Pan American Games
, both in Mexico City
. The 2011 Parapan American Games
were held 20 days after the Pan American Games have ended.
Following PASO tradition, Jalisco governor Emilio González Márquez
and then Guadalajara mayor Alfonso Petersen Farah received the Pan American Sports Organization flag during the closing ceremony of the 2007 Pan American Games
in Rio de Janeiro
, Brazil
. The event was officially opened by the President of Mexico
Felipe Calderón
.
The United States won the most medals
in total, their fifteenth straight time doing so at the Pan American Games. Brett Fraser
a swimmer from the Cayman Islands
won the first Pan American Games gold medal for his country, while the Saint Kitts and Nevis
won its first ever Pan American Games medal of any kind.
, Argentina
. Guadalajara was the only city to officially bid for the 2011 Pan American Games. This may have been in part due to no announced and/or open candidature period for the event. Guadalajara initially bid for the 2003 Pan American Games
which were held in Santo Domingo
, Dominican Republic
. San Antonio, Texas
, which bid for the 2007 Games
, declined to bid for the 2011 games.
The Games also boosted plans to build new hotels, re-engineer the downtown area, and build a second terminal in the airport. Horacio de la Vega, marketing director for Guadalajara 2011, also cited the 1992 Summer Olympics
in Barcelona
as inspiration. "Barcelona wasn't Barcelona before it got the Olympic Games. In a more modest sense, we are doing the same in Guadalajara", said de la Vega. The budget was estimated at $180 million to $200 million for the sports infrastructure, and approximately $250 million overall. Some of the funding would go to general street improvement and public transportation. Dr. Carlos Andrade was the head of the organizing committee.
However, as the Games drew closer to starting, it was revealed that the costs of building the venues and the athletes' village had more than tripled to $750 million.
Other plans include a new convention center
, a Guadalajara-Puerto Vallarta highway, and a bypass for southern Guadalajara. By 2011, the city will have a new bus rapid transit
system, Macrobus
, that will run through the Calzada Independencia and the Centro Cultural Metropolitano, an ambitious project of the Universidad de Guadalajara, which includes a 10,000 seat performing arts auditorium (Auditorio Telmex) and a new public library, among other buildings. Guadalajara also will increase its hotel rooms by thirty percent from sixteen thousand to twenty-one thousand rooms.
About 1.2 billion pesos (about 100 million US dollars) were used to administrate drug and doping tests on athletes. 400 and 600 million pesos were to come from the sponsors and the rest were to be covered by an increase in federal, state and municipal resources.
By April, Guadalajara 2011 had made over $50 million dollars revenue on television rights and sponsors, which was more than the previous games
in Rio De Janeiro
. The organizing committee had aimed for a revenue of about $70 million dollars by the end of the Games. The organizing committee also expected to sell about one million tickets, which went on sale on May 13, 2011.
In June 2011, four months before the games, Carlos Andrade stated that no construction concerns remained for Guadalajara. He said that all 23 stadiums being built would be ready for the start of the games.
and TV Azteca
, also signed on to broadcast the Games, and to make indication of the games on their daily television programming. Famous athletes from Mexico, including diver
Fernando Platas
and golf
er Lorena Ochoa
were also named ambassadors to promote the games. The organizing committee also signed a marketing deal with SKY México
, which operates in several countries. The network created a channel dedicated to the games. During the duration of the games, classes for students in Guadalajara
were suspended, giving them the opportunity to attend and celebrate the games.
, Telcel
, Nissan
and Telmex
. Accordingly, some of the venues were named after these sponsors, such as the Scotiabank aquatics center, Nissan Gymnastics Stadium, Telcel Tennis Complex and the Telmex Athletics Stadium. Children International
was also an official benefactor of the Pan American Games. There were also other sponsors, called "second tier" and "third tier" sponsors by the organizing committee. These included Technogym
and other sponsors regarding food, equipment, security and logistics.
were Huichi, Gavo, and Leo. The organizing committee unveiled the mascots at the Plaza Andares Amphitheater in Guadalajara on November 28, 2009, and the mascots were officially named on February 10, 2010.
The creators of the mascots each received $2,584. Jose Luis Andrade created the Leo, Angel Barba Barrera created Huichi and Fernando Sanchez created Gavo. The mascots represented the state of Jalisco and the city of Guadalajara.
and as far away as Puerto Vallarta
. Puerto Vallarta hosted sailing
, marathon swimming
, triathlon
, and beach volleyball
.
Other cities that co-hosted the event are Tapalpa
(mountain biking
), Ciudad Guzman
(rowing
and canoeing
) and Lagos de Moreno
(baseball
).
The opening
and closing
ceremonies were held at the Omnilife Stadium, which was constructed in 2010 for the Estadio Chivas football team. Originally, the bigger and older Jalisco Stadium was scheduled to host the ceremonies, but the organizing committee decided to move to the newer and more technologically advanced Omnilife stadium. By moving the ceremonies to the Omnilife Stadium organizers also allowed for a parade to be held through the streets of Guadalajara and an increase in the use of projections and fireworks. Other venues that already existed in Guadalajara included the Weightlifting Forum and the CODE Dome. Most other venues for the games had to be constructed or expanded temporarily to host the games.
10 new venues were planned including a volleyball arena, covered velodrome, shooting range, and a basketball arena. The $5.5-million, 3,500-seat gymnastics stadium opened in March 2008.
In total about 35 different venues were used, with a majority of them being newly built specifically for the games.
pyramids in Mexico
first in the Sierra de la Estrella and after in the Temple of the Sun God
— where it was selected by the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) as the place where the Pan American flame is to be lit and then transferred to the stadium of the city hosting the current Pan American Games Games. The flame arrives just in time for the Opening Ceremony
.
The torch relay was a 50 day journey through all 32 Mexican states starting on August 26 at the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacan outside Mexico City
. About 3,500 runners were expected to get the chance to carry the torch on its 15,000 kilometer journey across Mexico. Individuals sixteen and older and, for the first time, people with disabilities were allowed to carry the torch.
The torch arrived in Puerto Vallarta
on October 9, Ciudad Guzman
on October 11, Tapalpa
on October 12, Lagos de Moreno
on October 13 and Guadalajara on October 14. In Guadalajara it was carried in traditional style into the opening ceremony
at the Omnilife Stadium. The torch relay was sponsored by local nutrition company Grupo Omnilife.
The torch design depicted agave leaves protecting the Pan American flame. This was a recurring theme throughout the games and was seen on the logo and one of the mascots. The torch was designed by Chinese company, Vatti, which also designed the torch for the 2008 Summer Olympics
. The entire torch relay was organized by the Mexican Olympic Committee.
.
, which had planned to continue functioning after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, had its membership withdrawn by the IOC Executive Committee at the IOC session on July 2011
. However, it took steps to allow athletes to compete at the 2011 Pan American Games under the PASO flag.
The number of competitors qualified by each delegation is indicated in parentheses.
, which was added as by the hosts Brazilians as an exhibition sport for the 2007 Pan American Games
was dropped from the program. Rugby sevens
replaced futsal at the games, appearing on the games program for the very first time. Racquetball
and basque pelota also returned to the program after missing the last games in Rio de Janeiro
. There were 361 medal events in total. The 2011 Pan American Games had qualification standards for every sport just like the Olympic Games
. 15 out of the 26 current Summer Olympic sports
, including handball canoeing, and modern pentathlon, will use the Pan American Games as a qualifier for the 2012 Summer Olympics
in London
.
Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of medal events contested in each sport.
region. According to organizers, the medal represents an agave plant and has the texture of embroidery made by the Huichol people. Also, the medal represents the "heart of the agave plant", because the medal has different levels to it, as if one had ripped the layers of the plant to find the heart.
, Rob Ford
of Toronto
.
, has seen escalating violence with gangs attacking bars and police stations, hijacking cars and blocking major roads and highways. Some countries, including the United States and Canada, expressed concerns about the safety and security of the region.
Due to the increased safety issues the United States Olympic Committee
had its own security plan for the games. The drug war also raised questions about Guadalajara's ability to host the games. During a meeting of the United States Olympic Committee
(USOC) in March 2011, chief security officer Larry Buendorf
gave a report to the rest of the committee in which he said, "We’re going to prepare for Guadalajara like we would any other Games. A lot of that is just preparing your athletes for the individual environments that they’re going into. Everybody is quite aware of the violence that has happened. We’re obviously concerned about it, and at the end of the day, I think we have a good security plan in place to try to protect our athletes". In February 2011 two major incidents, in which grenades were thrown at an entrance to a nightclub, raised concerns about the safety of the Pan American Games. In response to security issues, organizers pledged that security was a top priority, and spent $10 million on a plan that involved 10,000 municipal, state and federal police, as well as elements from the Mexican army and navy, patrolling Guadalajara's streets during the games.
claimed that the construction would affect their drinking water supply. The director of the organizing committee, Carlos Andrade Garin, said a 10-day construction delay would mean the event would have to be canceled.
According to Garin, "we have some crabs [people who don't want to go forward] who don't like our state to grow, who don't like us having a great event, whose own related interests are more important than those of the community. Unfortunately, you can't do anything against this kind of people, except get on with our own job."
Governor of Jalisco
Emilio González Márquez
said the legal action was brought about by political rivals who objected to the amount of money being spent on the event.
After many delays, organizers finally asserted that the athletes' village would be finished no later than September, only a month before the games were to begin. The village was expected to be handed over to COPAG by August 22, 2011.
. This meant that not all disciplines could have a test event before the games began. Organizers guaranteed that all the sports venues being built for the games would be ready before September 2011. Many of the venues were scaled down, including the Telemex athletics stadium, which had the number of seats halved. During the election of the host city of the 2015 Pan American Games
, PASO president Mario Vazquez Rana
said that if Guadalajara did not address the delays, Toronto
, the host of the next games, would step in and replace Guadalajara as host. In August 2011, the athletics stadium was further delayed by of constant rain which prevented the installation of the track. This development put the test event scheduled for September at risk of being cancelled. Several days before the opening ceremony, the organizing committee announced that they were optimistic that the venues would be ready by the start of the games.
. However, Games officials said that there would be no issues with the food being served to the athletes and officials staying at the athletes' village. The director of food services for the organizing committee guaranteed daily samples of the food being served to test for any harmful chemicals.
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...
that was held from October 14–30, 2011 in Guadalajara
Guadalajara
Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
, Jalisco
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Some events were held in the nearby cities of Ciudad Guzmán
Ciudad Guzmán
Ciudad Guzmán is a city in the Mexican state of Jalisco.It is located at , 124 km south of Guadalajara, at a height of 1,507 metres above sea level...
, Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta is a Mexican balneario resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas.The 2010 census reported Puerto Vallarta's population as 255,725 making it the sixth-largest city in the state of Jalisco...
, Lagos de Moreno
Lagos de Moreno
Lagos de Moreno is a city and its surrounding municipal area of the same name, located in the extreme northeastern part of the state of Jalisco in Mexico...
and Tapalpa
Tapalpa
Tapalpa is a town and municipality, in Jalisco in central-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 442.15 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 16,057....
. It was the largest 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...
of the year, with approximately 6,000 athletes from 42 nations participating in 36 sports. Both the Pan American and Parapan American Games
2011 Parapan American Games
The 4th Parapan American Games took place from November 12 to 20 in Guadalajara, Mexico. The Games are an international multi-sport event for athletes with a physical disability. The Games are being held 20 days after the 2011 Pan American Games have begun....
were organized by the Guadalajara 2011 Organizing Committee (COPAG). The 2011 Pan American Games were the third Pan American Games
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...
hosted by Mexico (the first country to do so) and the first held in the state of Jalisco
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
. Previously, Mexico hosted the 1955 Pan American Games
1955 Pan American Games
The 2nd 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....
and the 1975 Pan American Games
1975 Pan American Games
The 7th Pan American Games were held in Mexico City, Mexico, from October 12 to October 26, 1975, exactly twenty years after the 2nd Pan American Games were held there...
, both in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. The 2011 Parapan American Games
2011 Parapan American Games
The 4th Parapan American Games took place from November 12 to 20 in Guadalajara, Mexico. The Games are an international multi-sport event for athletes with a physical disability. The Games are being held 20 days after the 2011 Pan American Games have begun....
were held 20 days after the Pan American Games have ended.
Following PASO tradition, Jalisco governor Emilio González Márquez
Emilio González Márquez
Emilio González Márquez is a Mexican politician affiliated to the National Action Party . He is the current Governor of Jalisco.-Political career:...
and then Guadalajara mayor Alfonso Petersen Farah received the Pan American Sports Organization flag during the closing ceremony of the 2007 Pan American Games
2007 Pan American Games
The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, were a major continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to July 29, 2007. A total of 5,633 athletes from 42 National Olympic Committees competed in 332 events in 34 sports and in...
in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. The event was officially opened by the President of Mexico
President of Mexico
The President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...
Felipe Calderón
Felipe Calderón
Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is the current President of Mexico. He assumed office on December 1, 2006, and was elected for a single six-year term through 2012...
.
The United States won the most medals
United States at the 2011 Pan American Games
The United States competed at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico from October 14 to 30, 2011.The chef de mission for the United States for these Pan American Games was Alan Ashley, the USOC's Chief of Sport Performance...
in total, their fifteenth straight time doing so at the Pan American Games. Brett Fraser
Brett Fraser
Brett Michael Fraser is a college and international swimmer from the Cayman Islands. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Fraser and his older brother, Shaune Fraser, were two of the three flag-bearers from the country....
a swimmer from the Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands at the 2011 Pan American Games
The Cayman Islands will compete at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico from October 14 to 30, 2011. The Cayman Islands will send twelve athletes four sports, the same amount from the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janiero...
won the first Pan American Games gold medal for his country, while the Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis at the 2011 Pan American Games
Saint Kitts and Nevis will compete at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico from October 14 to 30, 2011. Saint Kitts and Nevis will send six athletes, all of which will compete in athletics....
won its first ever Pan American Games medal of any kind.
Host city election
PASO selected the city unanimously as the host for 16th Pan American Games on Friday, June 2, 2006 at its 44th general assembly held in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Guadalajara was the only city to officially bid for the 2011 Pan American Games. This may have been in part due to no announced and/or open candidature period for the event. Guadalajara initially bid for the 2003 Pan American Games
2003 Pan American Games
The 14th Pan American Games were held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from 1 to 17 August 2003. The successful bid for the games was made in the mid-1990s, when this country had one of the highest growth rates in Latin America....
which were held in Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. San Antonio, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, which bid for the 2007 Games
2007 Pan American Games
The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, were a major continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to July 29, 2007. A total of 5,633 athletes from 42 National Olympic Committees competed in 332 events in 34 sports and in...
, declined to bid for the 2011 games.
Infrastructure and budget
Inspired by the 2003 Santo Domingo Games, Guadalajara used the Games as a cost-effective way to build sports infrastructure, according to Ivar Sisniega, Guadalajara 2011 international relations and sports director. Guadalajara, known as "the Pearl of the West", is a metropolitan area of five million people and is regarded for its culture and as Mexico's No. 1 destination for business tourism.The Games also boosted plans to build new hotels, re-engineer the downtown area, and build a second terminal in the airport. Horacio de la Vega, marketing director for Guadalajara 2011, also cited the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
as inspiration. "Barcelona wasn't Barcelona before it got the Olympic Games. In a more modest sense, we are doing the same in Guadalajara", said de la Vega. The budget was estimated at $180 million to $200 million for the sports infrastructure, and approximately $250 million overall. Some of the funding would go to general street improvement and public transportation. Dr. Carlos Andrade was the head of the organizing committee.
However, as the Games drew closer to starting, it was revealed that the costs of building the venues and the athletes' village had more than tripled to $750 million.
Other plans include a new convention center
Convention center
A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...
, a Guadalajara-Puerto Vallarta highway, and a bypass for southern Guadalajara. By 2011, the city will have a new bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
system, Macrobus
Guadalajara Macrobus
The Guadalajara Macrobus is a bus rapid transit system in Guadalajara, Jalisco. The initiation of work on the system was announced by Jalisco Governor Emilio González Márquez on February 29, 2008...
, that will run through the Calzada Independencia and the Centro Cultural Metropolitano, an ambitious project of the Universidad de Guadalajara, which includes a 10,000 seat performing arts auditorium (Auditorio Telmex) and a new public library, among other buildings. Guadalajara also will increase its hotel rooms by thirty percent from sixteen thousand to twenty-one thousand rooms.
About 1.2 billion pesos (about 100 million US dollars) were used to administrate drug and doping tests on athletes. 400 and 600 million pesos were to come from the sponsors and the rest were to be covered by an increase in federal, state and municipal resources.
By April, Guadalajara 2011 had made over $50 million dollars revenue on television rights and sponsors, which was more than the previous games
2007 Pan American Games
The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, were a major continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to July 29, 2007. A total of 5,633 athletes from 42 National Olympic Committees competed in 332 events in 34 sports and in...
in Rio De Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. The organizing committee had aimed for a revenue of about $70 million dollars by the end of the Games. The organizing committee also expected to sell about one million tickets, which went on sale on May 13, 2011.
In June 2011, four months before the games, Carlos Andrade stated that no construction concerns remained for Guadalajara. He said that all 23 stadiums being built would be ready for the start of the games.
Marketing
Marketing for the games began in 2007 at the closing ceremony of the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro with a handover ceremony to the next host city. Both the state and the national governments began a large-scale campaign to advertise on buildings and to place signs making reference to the Games. Two TV networks, TelevisaTelevisa
Televisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract...
and TV Azteca
TV Azteca
Azteca, is the second largest Mexican television entertainment. It was established in 1983 as the state-owned Instituto Mexicano de la Televisión , a holding of the national TV networks channel 13 and 7 and was privatized under its current name in 1993 and now is part of Grupo Salinas...
, also signed on to broadcast the Games, and to make indication of the games on their daily television programming. Famous athletes from Mexico, including diver
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
Fernando Platas
Fernando Platas
Fernando Platas is a Mexican diver. He began diving since he was a young boy. In 1990 he won in Germany two tests of 2 and 10 metres, and in that same year he won three gold medals in the Central American Games which took place in Mexico City.In 1992, he represented Mexico in the 1992 Summer...
and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er Lorena Ochoa
Lorena Ochoa
Lorena Ochoa Reyes is a Mexican professional golfer who played on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour from 2003 to 2010, and was the top-ranked female golfer in the world for over three years, from April 2007 to her retirement in May 2010...
were also named ambassadors to promote the games. The organizing committee also signed a marketing deal with SKY México
SKY México
SKY México is a company that operates a subscription television service in the Mexico, Central America, Dominican Republic area. It produces TV content, and owns several TV channels...
, which operates in several countries. The network created a channel dedicated to the games. During the duration of the games, classes for students in Guadalajara
Guadalajara
Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
were suspended, giving them the opportunity to attend and celebrate the games.
Sponsors
There were four official sponsors for the Games: ScotiabankScotiabank
The Bank of Nova Scotia , commonly known as Scotiabank , is the third largest bank in Canada by deposits and market capitalization. It serves some 18.6 million customers in more than 50 countries around the world and offers a broad range of products and services including personal, commercial,...
, Telcel
Telcel
Telcel is Mexico's largest mobile phone carrier, owned by América Móvil. Founded in 1989 and based in Mexico City, Telcel is the leading provider of wireless communications services in Mexico. As of December 31, 2006, Telcel's cellular network covered more than 63% of the geographical area of...
, Nissan
Nissan Motors
, usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn ....
and Telmex
Telmex
Telmex is a telecommunications company headquartered in Mexico City that provides telecommunication products and services in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil and other countries in Latin America. In addition to traditional fixed-line telephone service, Telmex also offers Internet access, data,...
. Accordingly, some of the venues were named after these sponsors, such as the Scotiabank aquatics center, Nissan Gymnastics Stadium, Telcel Tennis Complex and the Telmex Athletics Stadium. Children International
Children International
Children International is a nonprofit humanitarian organization dedicated to bettering the lives of impoverished children, their families and communities....
was also an official benefactor of the Pan American Games. There were also other sponsors, called "second tier" and "third tier" sponsors by the organizing committee. These included Technogym
Technogym
Technogym is a manufacturer of fitness equipment based in Cesena, Italy.It was founded in 1983 by Nerio Alessandri and now it is a world leader in the wellness and fitness fields.-History:...
and other sponsors regarding food, equipment, security and logistics.
Mascots
The mascots for the 2011 Pan American Games and the 2011 Parapan American Games2011 Parapan American Games
The 4th Parapan American Games took place from November 12 to 20 in Guadalajara, Mexico. The Games are an international multi-sport event for athletes with a physical disability. The Games are being held 20 days after the 2011 Pan American Games have begun....
were Huichi, Gavo, and Leo. The organizing committee unveiled the mascots at the Plaza Andares Amphitheater in Guadalajara on November 28, 2009, and the mascots were officially named on February 10, 2010.
The creators of the mascots each received $2,584. Jose Luis Andrade created the Leo, Angel Barba Barrera created Huichi and Fernando Sanchez created Gavo. The mascots represented the state of Jalisco and the city of Guadalajara.
- Gavo — A blue agave (agave azul) plant that is representative of the region which is famous for its tequilaTequilaTequila is a spirit made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands of the western Mexican state of Jalisco....
production. - Huichi — A deerDeerDeer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
which represents the southern region of the state and alludes to its Huichol traditions and the female identity. - Leo — A lionLionThe lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
, which represents the strength of the people of Guadalajara and is also part of the city's coat of arms.
Venues
Most of the new facilities are modest with temporary seating, intended to be utilized in future as training sites and teaching facilities for elite athletes or for community use. The aquatic centre seats over 4,000 and has two Olympic-size pools and a diving level. The athletic facility will sat 15,000 during the Games and then returned to a 5,000-seat arena. The 2011 Games were shared throughout the state of JaliscoJalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
and as far away as Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta is a Mexican balneario resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas.The 2010 census reported Puerto Vallarta's population as 255,725 making it the sixth-largest city in the state of Jalisco...
. Puerto Vallarta hosted sailing
Sailing at the 2011 Pan American Games
Sailing competitions at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara will be held from October 17 to October 23 at the Vallarta Yacht Club in Puerto Vallarta.-Medal Table:-Men's events:-Women's events:-Open events:-Schedule:...
, marathon swimming
Swimming at the 2011 Pan American Games
The swimming competition at the 2011 Pan American Games is scheduled for October 15-22, 2011, at the Scotiabank Aquatics Center in Guadalajara, Mexico...
, triathlon
Triathlon at the 2011 Pan American Games
The Triathlon competitions at the 2011 Pan American Games were held on Sunday, October 23 at the API Maritime Terminal in Puerto Vallarta. Both the men's and women's events were be held on the same day.-Medal table:-Medal events:-Schedule:...
, and beach volleyball
Beach volleyball at the 2011 Pan American Games
Beach volleyball competitions at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara will be held from October 17 to October 23 at the Pan American Beach Volleyball Stadium in Puerto Vallarta.-Medal Table:Key:-Events:-Schedule:...
.
Other cities that co-hosted the event are Tapalpa
Tapalpa
Tapalpa is a town and municipality, in Jalisco in central-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 442.15 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 16,057....
(mountain biking
Cycling at the 2011 Pan American Games
Cycling competitions at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara will be held from October 15 to October 22 at the Pan American Velodrome , Guadalajara Circuit , Pan American Mountain Bike Circuit in Tapalpa and CODE San Nicolás ....
), Ciudad Guzman
Ciudad Guzmán
Ciudad Guzmán is a city in the Mexican state of Jalisco.It is located at , 124 km south of Guadalajara, at a height of 1,507 metres above sea level...
(rowing
Rowing at the 2011 Pan American Games
Rowing competitions at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara will be held from October 15 to October 19 at the Canoe & Rowing Course in Ciudad Guzman...
and canoeing
Canoeing at the 2011 Pan American Games
Canoeing competitions at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara will be held from October 26 to October 29 at the Rowing and Canoeing Course in Ciudad Guzmán. Canoe Slalom will not be held after the organizers decided to drop it, due to an anticipated low amount of entries...
) and Lagos de Moreno
Lagos de Moreno
Lagos de Moreno is a city and its surrounding municipal area of the same name, located in the extreme northeastern part of the state of Jalisco in Mexico...
(baseball
Baseball at the 2011 Pan American Games
-Group B:---------------------Seventh place match:-Fifth place match:-Semifinals:-----Bronze medal match:-Gold medal match:-Final standings:-Batting:-Pitching:-External links:*...
).
The opening
2011 Pan American Games opening ceremony
The opening ceremony of the 2011 Pan American Games took place on October 14, 2011, beginning at 20:00 CDT at Omnilife Stadium in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico...
and closing
2011 Pan American Games closing ceremony
The Closing Ceremony of the 2011 Pan American Games took place on October 30, 2011, beginning at 6:00 pm CST at Omnilife Stadium in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico....
ceremonies were held at the Omnilife Stadium, which was constructed in 2010 for the Estadio Chivas football team. Originally, the bigger and older Jalisco Stadium was scheduled to host the ceremonies, but the organizing committee decided to move to the newer and more technologically advanced Omnilife stadium. By moving the ceremonies to the Omnilife Stadium organizers also allowed for a parade to be held through the streets of Guadalajara and an increase in the use of projections and fireworks. Other venues that already existed in Guadalajara included the Weightlifting Forum and the CODE Dome. Most other venues for the games had to be constructed or expanded temporarily to host the games.
10 new venues were planned including a volleyball arena, covered velodrome, shooting range, and a basketball arena. The $5.5-million, 3,500-seat gymnastics stadium opened in March 2008.
In total about 35 different venues were used, with a majority of them being newly built specifically for the games.
Torch relay
The Pan American Torch Relay is the transfer of the Pan American Games flame from the Ancient TeotihuacanTeotihuacan
Teotihuacan – also written Teotihuacán, with a Spanish orthographic accent on the last syllable – is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico, just 30 miles northeast of Mexico City, containing some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the pre-Columbian Americas...
pyramids in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
first in the Sierra de la Estrella and after in the Temple of the Sun God
Pyramid of the Sun
The Pyramid of the Sun is the largest building in Teotihuacan and one of the largest in Mesoamerica. Found along the Avenue of the Dead, in between the Pyramid of the Moon and the Ciudadela, and in the shadow of the massive mountain Cerro Gordo, the pyramid is part of a large complex in the heart...
— where it was selected by the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) as the place where the Pan American flame is to be lit and then transferred to the stadium of the city hosting the current Pan American Games Games. The flame arrives just in time for the Opening Ceremony
2011 Pan American Games opening ceremony
The opening ceremony of the 2011 Pan American Games took place on October 14, 2011, beginning at 20:00 CDT at Omnilife Stadium in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico...
.
The torch relay was a 50 day journey through all 32 Mexican states starting on August 26 at the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacan outside Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. About 3,500 runners were expected to get the chance to carry the torch on its 15,000 kilometer journey across Mexico. Individuals sixteen and older and, for the first time, people with disabilities were allowed to carry the torch.
The torch arrived in Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta is a Mexican balneario resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas.The 2010 census reported Puerto Vallarta's population as 255,725 making it the sixth-largest city in the state of Jalisco...
on October 9, Ciudad Guzman
Ciudad Guzmán
Ciudad Guzmán is a city in the Mexican state of Jalisco.It is located at , 124 km south of Guadalajara, at a height of 1,507 metres above sea level...
on October 11, Tapalpa
Tapalpa
Tapalpa is a town and municipality, in Jalisco in central-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 442.15 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 16,057....
on October 12, Lagos de Moreno
Lagos de Moreno
Lagos de Moreno is a city and its surrounding municipal area of the same name, located in the extreme northeastern part of the state of Jalisco in Mexico...
on October 13 and Guadalajara on October 14. In Guadalajara it was carried in traditional style into the opening ceremony
2011 Pan American Games opening ceremony
The opening ceremony of the 2011 Pan American Games took place on October 14, 2011, beginning at 20:00 CDT at Omnilife Stadium in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico...
at the Omnilife Stadium. The torch relay was sponsored by local nutrition company Grupo Omnilife.
The torch design depicted agave leaves protecting the Pan American flame. This was a recurring theme throughout the games and was seen on the logo and one of the mascots. The torch was designed by Chinese company, Vatti, which also designed the torch for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics torch relay
The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from March 24 until August 8, 2008, prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics, with the theme of "one world, one dream". Plans for the relay were announced on April 26, 2007, in Beijing, China...
. The entire torch relay was organized by the Mexican Olympic Committee.
Opening ceremony
The opening ceremony of the games took place on October 14, 2011, at 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC, October 15) at Omnilife Stadium. The opening ceremony was produced by Five Currents, who also produced the 2002 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
.
Participating teams
All 41 members of PASO competed at the Games. The Netherlands Antilles Olympic CommitteeNetherlands Antilles Olympic Committee
The Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee, generally abbreviated NAOC was a member of the IOC from 1950 until 2011. It constituted the National Olympic Committee of the dissolved country Netherlands Antilles which consisted of the islands Aruba , Curaçao, Sint Maarten , Bonaire, Sint Eustatius...
, which had planned to continue functioning after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, had its membership withdrawn by the IOC Executive Committee at the IOC session on July 2011
123rd IOC Session
The 123rd International Olympic Committee Session was held in July 2011 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban, South Africa...
. However, it took steps to allow athletes to compete at the 2011 Pan American Games under the PASO flag.
The number of competitors qualified by each delegation is indicated in parentheses.
- Netherlands Antilles (11)
Sports
36 sports were contested in Guadalajara. With sports such as diving, a sub-discipline of aquatics, included, the number goes up to 40 sports. FutsalFutsal
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
, which was added as by the hosts Brazilians as an exhibition sport for the 2007 Pan American Games
2007 Pan American Games
The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, were a major continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to July 29, 2007. A total of 5,633 athletes from 42 National Olympic Committees competed in 332 events in 34 sports and in...
was dropped from the program. Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
replaced futsal at the games, appearing on the games program for the very first time. Racquetball
Racquetball
For other sports often called "paddleball", see Paddleball .Racquetball is a racquet sport played with a hollow rubber ball in an indoor or outdoor court...
and basque pelota also returned to the program after missing the last games in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. There were 361 medal events in total. The 2011 Pan American Games had qualification standards for every sport just like the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
. 15 out of the 26 current Summer Olympic sports
Olympic sports
Olympic sports, as defined by the International Olympic Committee, are all the sports contested in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. The Summer Olympics, as of 2012, will include 26 sports, with two additionall sports due to be added in 2016...
, including handball canoeing, and modern pentathlon, will use the Pan American Games as a qualifier for the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of medal events contested in each sport.
- Aquatics
-
Basque Pelota (10) -
_pictogram.svg.png)
Beach volleyballBeach volleyballBeach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
(2)
- Canoeing
_pictogram.svg.png)
CanoeingCanoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
(12) - CyclingCyclingCycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
-
_pictogram.svg.png)
BMXBMXBicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
(2) -
_pictogram.svg.png)
Mountain bikingMountain bikingMountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
(2) -
_pictogram.svg.png)
RoadRoad bicycle racingRoad bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
(4) -
_pictogram.svg.png)
TrackTrack cyclingTrack cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using track bicycles....
(10)
-
-
Field HockeyField hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
(2)
- GymnasticsGymnasticsGymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
- Artistic Gymnastics
_pictogram.svg.png)
Artistic gymnasticsArtistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics where gymnasts perform short routines on different apparatus, with less time for vaulting . The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique , which designs the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of international elite...
(14) - Rhythmic Gymnastics
_pictogram.svg.png)
Rhythmic gymnasticsRhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which individuals or teams of competitors manipulate one or two pieces of apparatus: rope, clubs, hoop, ball, ribbon and Free . An individual athlete only manipulates 1 apparatus at a time...
(8) - Trampoline
_pictogram.svg.png)
TrampolineA trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched over a steel frame using many coiled springs. People bounce on trampolines for recreational and competitive purposes....
(2)
-
Calendar
Medal table
The top ten listed NOCs by number of gold medals are listed below with the host nation, Mexico, being highlighted. The medals that were awarded have a unique design to the JaliscoJalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
region. According to organizers, the medal represents an agave plant and has the texture of embroidery made by the Huichol people. Also, the medal represents the "heart of the agave plant", because the medal has different levels to it, as if one had ripped the layers of the plant to find the heart.
| 1 | Host nation |
| 1 | 92 | 79 | 66 | 237 | |
| 2 | 58 | 35 | 43 | 136 | |
| 3 | 48 | 35 | 58 | 141 | |
| 4 | 1 | 42 | 41 | 50 | 133 |
| 5 | 30 | 40 | 49 | 119 | |
| 6 | 24 | 25 | 35 | 84 | |
| 7 | 21 | 19 | 35 | 75 | |
| 8 | 11 | 27 | 33 | 71 | |
| 9 | 7 | 9 | 17 | 33 | |
| 10 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 24 |
Closing ceremony
The closing ceremony of the games took place on October 30, 2011, beginning at 8:00 pm CST (02:00 UTC, October 31) at Omnilife Stadium. As per tradition, the Pan American Sports Organization flag was handed over to the mayor of the next host city2015 Pan American Games
The 2015 Pan American Games, officially the XVII Pan American Games or the 17th Pan American Games, will be a major international multi-sport event that will be held from July 10–26, 2015 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Ajax, Barrie, Brampton, Caledon, Hamilton,...
, Rob Ford
Rob Ford
Robert Bruce "Rob" Ford is the 64th and current Mayor of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was first elected to city council in the 2000 Toronto municipal election, and was re-elected to his council seat in 2003 and again in 2006...
of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Security
Guadalajara, due to the ongoing Mexican Drug WarMexican Drug War
The Mexican Drug War is an ongoing armed conflict taking place among rival drug cartels who fight each other for regional control, and Mexican government forces who seek to combat drug trafficking. However, the government's principal goal has been to put down the drug-related violence that was...
, has seen escalating violence with gangs attacking bars and police stations, hijacking cars and blocking major roads and highways. Some countries, including the United States and Canada, expressed concerns about the safety and security of the region.
Due to the increased safety issues 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...
had its own security plan for the games. The drug war also raised questions about Guadalajara's ability to host the games. During a meeting 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...
(USOC) in March 2011, chief security officer Larry Buendorf
Larry Buendorf
Larry Buendorf is the Chief Security Officer of the United States Olympic Committee. He is a former U.S. Navy pilot and Secret Service agent...
gave a report to the rest of the committee in which he said, "We’re going to prepare for Guadalajara like we would any other Games. A lot of that is just preparing your athletes for the individual environments that they’re going into. Everybody is quite aware of the violence that has happened. We’re obviously concerned about it, and at the end of the day, I think we have a good security plan in place to try to protect our athletes". In February 2011 two major incidents, in which grenades were thrown at an entrance to a nightclub, raised concerns about the safety of the Pan American Games. In response to security issues, organizers pledged that security was a top priority, and spent $10 million on a plan that involved 10,000 municipal, state and federal police, as well as elements from the Mexican army and navy, patrolling Guadalajara's streets during the games.
Athletes' village
The athletes' village was behind schedule for the entire time it was been under construction, and in May 2011, about 5 months before the start of the games, a judge ordered the construction of the facility to stop, because inhabitants of the town of ZapopanZapopan
Zapopan is a city and municipality located in the Mexican state of Jalisco, which is part of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area. It is best known as being the home of the Virgin of Zapopan, an image of the Virgin Mary which was made in the 16th century. This image has been credited with a number of...
claimed that the construction would affect their drinking water supply. The director of the organizing committee, Carlos Andrade Garin, said a 10-day construction delay would mean the event would have to be canceled.
According to Garin, "we have some crabs [people who don't want to go forward] who don't like our state to grow, who don't like us having a great event, whose own related interests are more important than those of the community. Unfortunately, you can't do anything against this kind of people, except get on with our own job."
Governor of Jalisco
Governor of Jalisco
The following is a list of governors of the Mexican state of Jalisco from 1921. The current constitution indicates a term 6 years in length, which cannot be renewed under any circumstances. It also stipulates the qualifications for becoming governor: a Mexican citizen by birth, at least 30 years of...
Emilio González Márquez
Emilio González Márquez
Emilio González Márquez is a Mexican politician affiliated to the National Action Party . He is the current Governor of Jalisco.-Political career:...
said the legal action was brought about by political rivals who objected to the amount of money being spent on the event.
After many delays, organizers finally asserted that the athletes' village would be finished no later than September, only a month before the games were to begin. The village was expected to be handed over to COPAG by August 22, 2011.
Venue delays
Another concern with the Games was that venue construction had fallen behind. In 2009, two years before the start of the games, the athletes' village was still not under construction and the aquatics and athletics stadiums fell way behind schedule. Some venues and the athletes village were finished only a few weeks before the start of the games, including the Telcel Athletics Stadium and the beach volleyball stadium in Puerto VallartaPuerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta is a Mexican balneario resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas.The 2010 census reported Puerto Vallarta's population as 255,725 making it the sixth-largest city in the state of Jalisco...
. This meant that not all disciplines could have a test event before the games began. Organizers guaranteed that all the sports venues being built for the games would be ready before September 2011. Many of the venues were scaled down, including the Telemex athletics stadium, which had the number of seats halved. During the election of the host city of the 2015 Pan American Games
2015 Pan American Games
The 2015 Pan American Games, officially the XVII Pan American Games or the 17th Pan American Games, will be a major international multi-sport event that will be held from July 10–26, 2015 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Ajax, Barrie, Brampton, Caledon, Hamilton,...
, PASO president Mario Vazquez Rana
Mario Vazquez Raña
Mario Vázquez Raña is a Mexican businessman and sports administrator, who has served on both national and Olympic committees...
said that if Guadalajara did not address the delays, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, the host of the next games, would step in and replace Guadalajara as host. In August 2011, the athletics stadium was further delayed by of constant rain which prevented the installation of the track. This development put the test event scheduled for September at risk of being cancelled. Several days before the opening ceremony, the organizing committee announced that they were optimistic that the venues would be ready by the start of the games.
Tainted meat
The German National Anti-Doping Agency warned athletes about the danger of eating meat in Mexico after the meat tested positive for clenbuterolClenbuterol
Clenbuterol is a sympathomimetic amine used by sufferers of breathing disorders as a decongestant and bronchodilator. People with chronic breathing disorders such as asthma use this as a bronchodilator to make breathing easier...
. However, Games officials said that there would be no issues with the food being served to the athletes and officials staying at the athletes' village. The director of food services for the organizing committee guaranteed daily samples of the food being served to test for any harmful chemicals.