Historic: Santiago 2023 Breaks Record for Most Countries on the medal table
While the United States maintains the lead on the medal table, nations like Suriname, which hadn’t won a medal since the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, managed to secure medals at Santiago 2023.
The Pan American Games Santiago 2023 made history for sports throughout the continent. This edition of the games in Chile has surpassed the historical record for the number of countries that have received medals. In this Pan American Games, 34 nations achieved the coveted medals in various disciplines, surpassing Rio 2007, which awarded medals to 32 countries, and Toronto 2015 and Lima 2019, which distributed 31 medals in each edition.
This increased diversity in medal achievement in the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games allowed countries like Suriname to win a medal after decades of waiting. Suriname had not won a medal since the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, where they secured a gold and a bronze, ranking 17th in the Pan American medal standings. In the current Pan American edition, the country won a silver medal in track cycling.
In Santiago 2023, Saint Kitts and Nevis reentered the Pan American medal table with a bronze medal in the men’s 200 meters, having not won a medal since the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto when they also secured a bronze. Meanwhile, Dominica obtained a bronze medal in women’s triple jump, thanks to Thea Lafort. The last time Dominica won a medal was in the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara when they claimed a silver.
Bermuda secured a bronze medal in the individual time trial of men’s road cycling in Santiago 2023, with athlete Conor White’s performance. This achievement marked the country’s return to the Pan American medal table after an absence of 8 years, as the last time they won a medal was in Toronto 2015 when they secured a bronze.
Guyana also secured a silver and two bronzes in athletics, with the 100 meters for men, men’s javelin throw, and women’s 100 meters allowing the country to return to the medal standings after not winning a medal since the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara.
ANOC AWARD WINNERS
Among the medallists in Chile were a number of former ANOC Award winners, including 2021 ANOC Award winner Maggie Mac Neil who won 5 gold medals, one silver and one bronze and 2019 ANOC Award winner Julio Cesar La Cruz who won gold in the men’s 92kg boxing.
USA MAINTAINS LEAD ON THE MEDAL TABLE
The United States has led the medal table in 17 out of the 19 editions of the Pan American Games, and Santiago 2023 is no exception. In this edition, the United States accumulated a total of 286 medals, with 124 gold, 75 silver, and 87 bronze. In Mar del Plata in 1995, the United States broke the record for the most medals obtained in a Pan American Games, reaching 425 medals in total, including 170 gold, 145 silver, and 110 bronze. The second time the USA achieved a high number of medals was at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis when they secured 369 medals in total.
In the first edition of the Pan American Games in Buenos Aires in 1951, Argentina led the medal table with 142 medals, including 63 gold, 43 silver, and 36 bronze. However, in the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba topped the Pan American medal table with a total of 265 medals, comprising 140 gold, 62 silver, and 63 bronze.
The top four positions on the medal table at Santiago 2023 are the same as in Lima 2019. Like in Lima, Brazil once again occupies the second place on the Pan American medal table with a total of 205 medals, including 66 gold, 73 silver, and 66 bronze. Mexico maintains its third place in the medal table with 142 medals, including 52 gold, 38 silver, and 52 bronze, just as Canada repeats its performance from Lima 2019 and holds the fourth place in the medal standings with a total of 164 medals, including 46 gold, 55 silver, and 63 bronze.
Written by Benjamín Guerrero L.
Photo: ©Panamsports.org
