From July 19-26, 2015, the CIBC Pan Am and Parapan Am Athletics Stadium on the York University campus hosted athletics events for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.
Temporary courses set up around the Ontario Place West Channel hosted the racewalking and marathon competitions. Track and field, road running, and racewalking are the three main categories within athletics.
Athletics at the 2015 Pan American Games – Men
Both the men’s and women’s schedules were quite identical, reflecting the equality that characterises the Olympic athletics programme.
Male athletes took part in all 24 events, while female athletes participated in 23 (the 50 km race walk was left off the women’s schedule). In addition, the 100-meter hurdles and the heptathlon for women are equivalent to the 110-meter hurdles and the decathlon for men.
In 2015, the CIBC Pan Am and Parapan Am Athletics Stadium hosted the men’s 100-meter sprint competition on July 21 and 22 as part of the Pan American Games. Lerone Clarke of Jamaica is the defending Pan American Games champion.
As part of the sports competition at the 2015 Pan American Games, the men’s marathon was held on July 25 on a temporary course around the Ontario Place West Channel. Solonei da Silva of Brazil is the reigning Pan American Games champion.
The Pan American Games have been held periodically (2015, 2019, etc.) in the year before to the Olympics since 1951 (for men) and 1955 (for women). They are coordinated by the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO). Pan American Games competitors come from all across North, South, Central, and Central American and the Caribbean to compete in a variety of sports.
All Prospective Team Members must be Legal Residents of the United States.
The United States swept the first five editions of the Pan American Games, which have been held annually since 1951, claiming a total of five gold medals.
After a promising 2-1 showing in the preliminary round at the 1971 Pan American Games, the United States was eliminated before the medal round and failed to win the gold medal for the first time in Pan American history.
In the last three Pan American Games, however, the United States went a perfect 26-0 and won their final Pan Am gold medal in 1983. The United States team has finished with an overall record of 87–15, with eight gold, three silver, and two bronze medals.
USA Important Members of the Team that Competed in the Pan American Games:
Several members of the USA Basketball team that competed at the Pan American Games went on to compete in the Olympics, and many others went on to have successful professional careers.
There have been a total of 34 Pan Am athletes on U.S. Olympic teams; this list includes Ernie Grunfeld, Grant Hill, Luscious Jackson, Michael Jordan, Christian Laettner, Danny Manning, Chris Mullin, Emeka Okafor, Sam Perkins, Oscar Robertson, David Robinson, Isiah Thomas, Jerry West, and Jo Jo White.
