The rise and fall of the first Pan-American Games’ design

Abstract

The organization of the First Pan American Games encountered significant challenges. Initially scheduled for 1942, the event was postponed —and ultimately held in 1951— due to the Americas’ involvement in World War II. This article argues that the postponement was rooted in three major crises: two political and one sporting, revealing the underlying tensions that shaped the planning process. These issues must be examined within the broader historical context of the Western Hemisphere at the time, including national political dynamics, inter American relations, and the evolution of the Olympic movement in Latin America.