1959 Pan American Games
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Official logo of the Chicago 1959 Pan American Games. | |||
| Host city | Chicago | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Country | United States | ||
| Nations participating | 25 | ||
| Athletes participating | 2,263 | ||
| Events | 166 in 18 sports | ||
| Opening ceremony | August 27 | ||
| Closing ceremony | September 7 | ||
| Officially opened by | President Dwight D. Eisenhower | ||
| Main venue | Soldier Field | ||
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The 3rd Pan American Games were held in Chicago August 28 – September 7, 1959.
Background
The games were originally awarded to Cleveland. Cleveland withdrew from hosting the games due to financial reasons. The original backup-host, Guatemala, withdrew even before Cleveland. São Paulo, Brazil and Chicago competed to replace Cleveland as the host of the Pan American Games. Chicago defeated São Paulo 13-6 in the Pan American Games Committee vote held August 3, 1957. São Paulo later would go on to host the following edition.[1]
Organization
Once Chicago took over the game following Cleveland's withdrawal, there were 18 months left to organize the games. The games were held on-schedule nonetheless. The games were the first Pan American Games to be held in the Northern Hemisphere's summer. The previous two editions were held in March.[1]
The Games
The games opened on August 27, 1959 in sunny 90 °F (32 °C) heat before 40,000 people in Chicago, Illinois, United States at Soldier Field.
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.
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States (USA) 1 a | 115/122 | 69/73 | 52/54 | 236/249 |
| 2 |  Argentina (ARG) a | 9 | 19/22 | 11/12 | 39/43 |
| 3 | .svg.png){kind=small} Brazil (BRA) | 8 | 8 | 6 | 22 |
| 4 | .svg.png){kind=small} Mexico (MEX) a | 6 | 11 | 12/13 | 29/30 |
| 5 | .svg.png){kind=small} Canada (CAN) a | 5/7 | 19/21 | 24/28 | 48/56 |
Note ^ The medal counts for the United States, Argentina, Mexico and Canada are disputed.
Sports and Venues
- Athletics at Soldier Field [2]
- Baseball at Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park[3]
- Basketball at Alumni Gymnasium (Men's) and Oak Park High School (Women's)[4][5]
- Boxing[4]
- Cycling at Gately Stadium temporary venue (Track Cycling) [6]
- Diving at Portage Park
- Football (soccer)
- Gymnastics at Navy Pier[4]
- Modern Pentathlon at Waukegan Shooting Range (shooting), Great Lakes Naval Training Center (fencing), Independence Grove (equestrian show-jumping and cross-country running), and Portage Park (swimming)[3]
- Rowing in the Cal-Sag Channel[3][4]
- Sailing in Lake Michigan
- Swimming at Portage Park[7]
- Tennis at Lincoln Park Tennis Club[3]
- Volleyball at Proviso High School[4]
- Weightlifting
- Wrestling at Reavis High School[4]
References
- 1 2 Gustkey, Earl (July 19, 1987). "A Chicago-style Pan Am Games". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
- ↑ Ford, Liam T.A. Ford (October 1, 2009). Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- 1 2 3 4 Dretske, Diana (December 8, 2008). "'59 Pan Am games brought Olympic-level competition to Lake Co.". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gustkey, Earl (August 5, 1987). "PAN AM GAMES LEGACY: 1959 : It's Not Exactly Peace and Harmony". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
- ↑ Lyke, Bill (August 29, 1959). "Drive Out to the Pan-Am Games!". Chicago Tribune. pp. B1. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
- ↑ "Chicago Historic Velodromes & 6-day venues". Retrieved July 5, 2014.
- ↑ Pogorzelksi, Daniel; Maloof, John (2008). Portage Park. Charleston SC, Chicago IL, Portsmouth NH, San Francisco CA: Arcadia Publishing. p. 95. ISBN 978-0-7385-5229-3.
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