 | |
| Host | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
|---|---|
| Nations | 42 |
| Athletes | 5,223 |
| Events | 338 in 35sports |
| Opening | August 1, 2003 |
| Closing | August 17, 2003 |
| Opened by | PresidentHipólito Mejía |
| Cauldron lighter | Luis Pujols |
| Main venue | Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium |
| Part of a series on the |
| 2003 Pan American Games |
|---|
The2003 Pan American Games, officially theXIV Pan American Games (Spanish:XIV Juegos Panamericanos) and commonly known asSanto Domingo 2003, were held inSanto Domingo,Dominican Republic, from August 1 to 17, 2003. The successful bid for the Games was made in the mid-1990s, when Dominican Republic had one of the highest growth rates in Latin America.[1][2]
All 42PASO countries and over 5,223 athletes pre-registered for participation in the XIV Pan American Games. An additional 2,425 trainers and delegates attended.[3] TheUnited States pre-registered the most athletes (713) andSaint Lucia entered the least (6). The host country entered 562 athletes.
In December 1998, inPanama City, Panama, Santo Domingo beatGuadalajara,Mexico, andMedellín,Colombia, in the voting to host the Games.[4] Guadalajara went on to host the2011 Pan American Games.[5]
| City | NOC | Round 1 | Round 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santo Domingo |  Dominican Republic | 24 | 28 |
| Guadalajara |  Mexico | 21 | 24 |
| Medellín |  Colombia | 6 | — |
The games opened atEstadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez before a crowd of 48,000. The exhibition featured some 10,000 performers, some dressed in costumes ranging from skeletons to men intuxedoes andtop hats, typifying a Dominican carnival.
Local baseball heroesJuan Marichal andPedro Martínez were on hand for the ceremony. They completed the final lap of the torch and withLuis Pujols, the nephew of theSan Francisco Giants coach of the same name, dressed in a Dominican baseball uniform, swung a bat at a baseball sitting atop the mini-flame which triggered the cauldron.
The ceremony also was attended by then-President of the Dominican RepublicHipólito Mejía, Pan American Sports Organization presidentMario Vázquez Raña and New York MayorMichael Bloomberg.
The Dominican Republic spent at least $175 million for the 17-day sporting event. Two Olympic parks were renewed or built, theCentro Olímpico Juan Pablo Duarte and Parque del Este complex. Laborers were forced to work right up until the opening ceremony because of construction delays, electrical blackouts, and questionable venue quality. In the end, the Dominican Republic refurbished existing sites and produced beautiful new facilities.
Although a few logistical incidents occurred (a team was unable to shower when the athletes village lacked water, teams were missing tennis balls or towels),[1] U.S. team chief Roland Betts, commented "At times it has been a great struggle, but we are very excited and proud to see the venues. I believe these venues are as good as or better than any that have been created for the Pan American Games." Other attendees agreed that logistical and venue problems declined greatly during the Games.
Numerous protest marches were staged to call attention to austerity measures, including import taxes and spending cuts, and neglect of impoverished areas. During the Games, the protests were banned from the city. However, the Dominicans warmly embraced the Games with pride, especially when local heroes such asFélix Sánchez won the first local gold medal at the 400-meter hurdles and broke the Pan Am record at the games first week.[1]
While praising the first-rate facilities, critics decried the huge cost overruns, the high payroll of the organizers, and concerns over the Dominican Republic's ability to maintain the venues after the Games.[6]
| 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 Statesa | 118 | 80 | 73 | 271/270/269 |
| 2 |  Cuba | 72 | 41 | 39 | 152 |
| 3 |  Canadaa | 29 | 57 | 42/41 | 128/127 |
| 4 |  Brazil | 29 | 40 | 54 | 123 |
| 5 | Mexicoa | 20 | 27 | 32/31 | 79/78 |
^ The medal counts for theUnited States,Canada andMexico are disputed[citation needed].
The 2003 games marked the return ofbasque pelota[7] andwaterskiing to the Games.[8]
Archery
Athletics
Badminton
Baseball
Basketball
Basque Pelota
Bowling
Boxing_pictogram.svg)
Canoeing_pictogram.svg)
Cycling
Diving
Equestrian
Fencing
Field hockey
Football_pictogram.svg)
Gymnastics
Handball
Judo
Karate.svg)
Modern pentathlon
Racquetball
Roller sports
Rowing
Sailing
Shooting
Softball
Squash
Swimming
Synchronized swimming
Table tennis
Taekwondo
Tennis
Triathlon_pictogram.svg)
Volleyball
Water polo
Water skiing
Weightlifting
WrestlingThe 2003 Games' mascot was a tank top cladmanatee namedTito.[9]
Television broadcasts of the games were produced byPaul Graham.[10]
In 2003,Parapan American Games was not hosted inSanto Domingo, but rather inMar del Plata,Argentina. The event featured 1,500 athletes from 28 countries competed in nine sporting events.[11] This was the 2nd and last Parapan American Games that was not tied to thePan American Games.
| Preceded by | XIVPan American Games Santo Domingo (2003) | Succeeded by |