The 1979 Pan American Games, officially the VIII Pan American Games (Spanish: VIII Juegos Panamericanos) and commonly known as San Juan 1979, were a multi-sport event governed by the Panam Sports Organization (PASO), and were held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from July 1 to July 15, 1979. Volleyball and some baseball matches were held in Caguas, Puerto Rico.[1][2] The 1980 documentary film A Step Away showcased a number of athletes competing in the Games.
 | |
| Host | San Juan, Puerto Rico |
|---|---|
| Nations | 34 |
| Athletes | 3,700 |
| Events | 250 in 24 sports |
| Opening | July 1 |
| Closing | July 15 |
| Opened by | Governor Carlos Romero Barceló |
| Cauldron lighter | Cynthia Guadalupe |
| Main venue | Hiram Bithorn Stadium |
Bidding process
editOn May 31, 1973, San Juan was the only candidate city to be a finalist to host the games and thus, San Juan was then selected to host the VIII Pan American Games by PASO at its general assembly in Santiago, Chile.[3][4][5]
The Games
editSports
edit- Archery ()
- Athletics ()
- Baseball ()
- Basketball ()
- Boxing ()
- Cycling ()
- Diving ()
- Equestrian ()
- Fencing ()
- Field hockey ()
- Football ()
- Gymnastics ()
- Judo ()
- Roller sports ()
- Rowing ()
- Sailing ()
- Shooting ()
- Softball ()
- Swimming ()
- Synchronized swimming ()
- Table tennis ()
- Tennis ()
- Volleyball ()
- Weightlifting ()
- Wrestling ()
Medal count
edit| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 126 | 95 | 45 | 266 |
| 2 | Cuba | 64 | 47 | 34 | 145 |
| 3 | Canada | 24 | 43 | 71 | 138 |
| 4 | Argentina | 12 | 7 | 17 | 36 |
| 5 | Brazil | 9 | 13 | 17 | 39 |
| Totals (5 entries) | 235 | 205 | 184 | 624 | |
- Note
^ The medal count for Canada is disputed.
Mascot
edit
The 1979 Games were the first one to feature a mascot, which was a running frog holding a torch named Coqui.[6]
References
edit- ^ Boswell, Thomas (July 11, 1979). "Cuba Nine In a Class By Itself". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ Krastev, Todor. "Men Volleyball Panamerican Games 1979 Caguas (PUR) - 02-13.07 Winner Cuba". Todor66.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ "Belle Époque: San Juan 1979". ESPN Deportes (in Spanish). July 4, 2015. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
- ^ "Los VIII Juegos Panamericanos de San Juan son un evento que no se olvida" [The VIII Pan-American Games of San Juan is an event that is not forgotten]. Primera Hora (in Spanish). June 30, 2009. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
- ^ "Puerto Rico hará Panamericanos" [Puerto Rico has Panamerican]. El Tiempo (in Spanish). Santiago, Chile. Associated Press. June 1, 1973. p. 1-C. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
- ^ "VIII Pan American Games - San Juan (Puerto Rico) 1979". Quadrodemedalhas.com. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
External links
edit- San Juan 1979 - VIII Pan American Games - Official Report (Part 1) at PanamSports.org
- San Juan 1979 - VIII Pan American Games - Official Report (Part 2) at PanamSports.org