The Pan-American Games’ development (1955-1959)

Abstract

This paper examines the second and third editions of the Pan-American Games (Pan-Am), as a formal constituent of the Olympic Movement, materialized within the broader tensions of Cold War. Data collection gathered primary sources from the 1950s corresponding to the preparation and realization of those Games, namely: official documents of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Pan-American Sports Organization (PASO), and the Mexican Olympic Committee. Results demonstrate that, after the immediate success of the first two editions, the continuity of the Pan-Am was threatened by financial, ideological and political reasons.