With the host city for the 2031 Pan American Games due to be elected only a week from now, Panam Sports (PASO) officials concluded evaluation visits to candidate cities Friday.
The team led by PASO president Neven Ilic arrived in Brazil Wednesday to meet with organizers behind the joint Rio de Janeiro and Niterói bid. That followed a Monday (September 29) to Wednesday visit to rival bidders Asunción, Paraguay.
The PASO team also included Secretary General Jimena Saldaña, and presidents of National Olympic Committees Mario Moccia of Argentina, Dennis Knight of Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Sara Rosario of Puerto Rico. The delegation toured the main sports venues proposed for the Games and met mayors from both Rio and Niterói, Eduardo Paes and Rodrigo Neves.
The Brazilian team showcased existing venues that were left as a legacy from the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games and unveiled plans for the construction on a Pan American Village in downtown Rio. Tours were conducted of Brazil’s Olympic Training Center and the Barra Olympic Park and its venues including the Rio Olympic Velodrome, Carioca 1 Arena, and the Olympic Arena.
Other visits included Maracanã Stadium, Deodoro Olympic Park, the Olympic BMX Center, the Olympic Hockey Center, the Arena of the Future, Deodoro Stadium, the Olympic Shooting Center and the Olympic Equestrian Center. Copacabana Beach, Rio’s tourism jewel, could be the site of the medal ceremonies.
Panam Sports visits Paraguay to begin site evaluation process for 2031 Pan American Games
If the bid is successful, Brazil will host the Games for a third time following São Paulo in 1963 and Rio in 2007.
“We have the facilities ready, and we want to offer a legacy for all of the Americas. A legacy of technical cooperation, exchange of coaches, camps, and competitions,” Marco La Porta, President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) said according to a statement.
“We are ready to host the Games because we don’t have to build practically anything.”
The most significant required construction will be for the new Pan American Village.
Rio’s 2016 Olympics were marred by construction delays and cost overruns, and a subway line extension that had its opening delayed and was not available to the general public during the Games.
The election will take place with 42 voting member nations on Friday, October 10 at 10:00am local time in Santiago, Chile where an Extraordinary General Assembly will be held and broadcast live on the Panam Sports channel.
The 2027 Panam Games will be held in Lima, Peru.
