Four Bids Confirmed to Host 2019 Pan American Games

The Pan American Sports Organization named La Punta, Argentina; Santiago, Chile; Lima, Peru; and Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela as the four cities that submitted bids for the 2019 Pan Am Games.

Each city is vying for their first Pan Am hosting duties, though Venezuela and Argentina have each hosted the event before. Santiago was set to host the 1993 winter Pan American Games, but the Games was canceled when the United States threatened to withdraw over a small slate of events. 

The Pan American Games have decreased in value over the past 30 years, as the United States and Canada have shied away from sending their best swimmers to the meet. 

Water polo is the one sport that consistently feature top-flight competition at the Pan American Games, since the continental representatives for the Olympics are chosen there, as they were in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2011. 

Santiago and Lima appear to have the edge over La Punta and Puerto Ordaz in that they are their country’s capital cities, meaning travel to and around those cities will be easier, and resources for constructing venues will be easier to obtain.

The Games have been held in Central and South America 12 of 17 times, with the United States last hosting the event in 1987 in Indianapolis. Canada is set to host the event for the third time in Toronto in the next iteration of the Pan American Games in July 2015. That event will likely not feature the top aquatic sports stars, as the FINA world championships in Russia will start in the middle of the Pan American Games festivities.