General Overview

After the creation of the games in 1951, they finally returned to their country of origin. The argentinan city of Mar del Plata realized a simple games, which the organization costed arround US$ 130000000, and receiving the athletes in an old vacation colony of the peronist regime, at Chapadmalal, 40 km far from the competitions venues.Carlos Menem, president of Argentina by that time, tought that these Pan American Games would work as a rehearsal for launching the Buenos Aires bid for the 2004 Olympics (which eventually lost against Athens in the 1997 IOC Session).

Menem gave the rights of comercialization of the games to the state channel ATC, which caused a reaction of the OIT (Organização Ibero-Americana de Televisión).

The Opening & Closing Ceremonies

The day 12 March, the games began at the Jose Maria Minella Stadium (which was in the past host of the 1978 Football World Cup).The volunteers formed the american continent, along with the letters XII (the 12th edition of these games). Carlos Saul Menem, president of Argentina, entered the stadium, being booed by great part of the spectators. Other guests of honor were the president of the FIFA, Joao Havelange, football legend Pele, and president of the IOC, Juan Antonio Samaranch. The parade started with 42 nations. Argentina, being the founder of the games, marched first with great cheers of the crowd. After Venezuela, the last country which marched, the parade ended with a group of athletes that took part in the 1951 Pan Am Games. The flags of the PASO and IOC, as well for Mar del Plata were raised. After the speeches of the president of the organizing comittee and Mario Vazques Raña, president of the PASO, Carlos Saul Menem declared the games open. Then, the PASO flag entered the stadium carried by a delegation from Cuba (past host of the games), to be handed over by a delegation of Argentina. Finally, Nora Vega, skating world champion, native from Mar del Plata, entered with the torch, climbed the steps and lighted the arch-shaped cauldron. Leonardo Malgor took the Athlete's oath.

After the protocol, an artistic show was performed, starting with argentinan kids performing some dances with balloons, and forming a giant clown face (to finally sing a peace appeal song). Performers made a giant dance routine, to finnaly end with the Tango, the well-know dance native of Argentina, which was born by a mixture of different cultures. At the end, Gaucho natives from the north took part and argentinan dancers, Julio Boca & Eleonora Casano, performed a beautiful made tango musical at the main stage. World famous muscal director, Lalo Schiffrin (well know for composing musical scores for movies like Impossible Mission and the singers Valeria Linch & Jairo, sang ''Toda America'', the official song of the games.

Resume of Sport competitions