VIII Pan American Games
HostSan Juan, Puerto Rico
Nations34
Athletes3,700
Events250 in 24 sports
OpeningJuly 1
ClosingJuly 15
Opened byGovernor Carlos Romero Barceló
Cauldron lighterCynthia Guadalupe
Main venueHiram Bithorn Stadium

The 1979 Pan American Games (Spanish: Juegos Panamericanos de 1979), officially the VIII Pan American Games were a multi-sport event governed by the Panam Sports Organization, 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.

Bidding process

Main article: Bids for the 1979 Pan American Games

On 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

Sports

Medal count

For a more comprehensive list, see 1979 Pan American Games medal table.
RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 United States1269545266
2 Cuba644734145
3 Canada244371138
4 Argentina1271736
5 Brazil9131739
Totals (5 entries)235205184624
Note

^ The medal count for Canada is disputed.

Mascot

Coqui, the first Pan American Games mascot

The 1979 Games were the first one to feature a mascot, which was a running frog holding a torch named Coqui.[6]

References

  1. ^ Boswell, Thomas (July 11, 1979). "Cuba Nine In a Class By Itself". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "Belle Époque: San Juan 1979". ESPN Deportes (in Spanish). July 4, 2015. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ "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

Preceded byMexico City VIII Pan American Games San Juan (1979) Succeeded byCaracas
Pan American Games
Events at the 1979 Pan American Games in San Juan, Puerto Rico
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