Santiago 2023: A Grand Celebration of Sport and Culture

The Pan American Games Santiago 2023, the 19th edition of the most important multisport event of the Americas, is a grand showcase of athletic prowess, sporting spirit, and cultural richness. Helding in Santiago, Chile, it marked the first time the country hosts the Pan American Games, which taking place from October 20 to November 5, 2023.

More than 6,500 athletes from 41 members of the Panam Sports Organization compete in a total of 425 events across 39 sports. The Games serve as a qualification event for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, with certain competitions offering Paris 2024 quotas on the line.

Several sports made their Pan-American Games debut at Santiago 2023. These include breaking, skateboarding (as a discipline of roller sports), and sport climbing. Other new events for this edition include the synchronized trampoline in gymnastics, 1,000 metres sprint event in roller speed skating, and the mixed eights event in rowing.

The Games feature a vibrant mascot named “Fiu,” inspired by the rush tyrant bird (Tachuris rubrigastra) native to South America. The name “Fiu” was chosen based on the sound the bird makes as it runs past. The torch of the Games was designed inspired by Chilean colours, weighing 1.5kg (3.3lb) and measuring 0.66m (26 inches) in length.

The Santiago 2023 Pan American Games attracte global attention, with spectators tuning in from various TV broadcasters and on-demand streaming provided by the broadcasters, including the Olympic Channel. The Games were expected to draw over 200 million television spectators and over one million people attending the venues to watch live in Santiago.

The event is not just about sports; it is also about leaving a lasting legacy. The “Villa Santiago,” a 17-tower complex that serving as the home for more than 8,000 athletes during the Games, is to be converted into 1,355 new apartments for low-income families.

Several remarkable athletes are part of the Pan American Games, such as Canadian swimmer Maggie Mac Neil, Cuban judoka Idalys Ortiz, and Puerto Rican table tennis star Adriana Díaz. American basketball sensation Jimmer Fredette and Olympic silver medalist Jordan Chiles in women’s artistic gymnastics were also among the participants.

As a grand celebration of sport and culture, the Pan American Games Santiago 2023 truly embodied its motto: “Soñar, Jugar, Ganar,” Spanish for “Dream, Play, Win”.