Pan American Games 2019

[LDOG 2,477]

I think it will just be bodybuilding and men's softball. Only Canada/USA host would remove pelota. 

 

Between squash and racquetball it's a no brainer that racquetball should stay, in pan american games it's almost a world championship while squash is a low level event. Anyway I think both stay.

[intoronto 6,892]

Just now, LDOG said:

I think it will just be bodybuilding and men's softball. Only Canada/USA host would remove pelota. 

 

Between squash and racquetball it's a no brainer that racquetball should stay, in pan american games it's almost a world championship while squash is a low level event. Anyway I think both stay.

Why do you think squash is a low level event? As in the quality vs rest of the world?

[LDOG 2,477]

hace 5 minutos, intoronto said:

Why do you think squash is a low level event? As in the quality vs rest of the world?

 

Yes. As far as I remember all top 15 players are egyptian, asian or European.  

[JoshMartini007 2,861]

Had some spare time so here’s my proposal for future Pan American Games events and athlete numbers. In general, I strive to reach a balance between keeping athlete numbers low without turning the event into a farce. This basically means I won’t have events with fewer than 8 entrants competing. Olympic events will be prioritized though sports like sailing will follow Pan American tradition. Only sports with changes or general comments are listed.

 

Total

Current – 424 Events, 6690 Athletes

Proposed – 388 Events, 6384 Athletes

 

Overall, we have a reduction of 36 events and about 300 athletes. Considering I had to increase athletes in some events due to PASO turning them anemic this isn’t too bad. Are there places where we could squeeze out a few more athletes? Possibly, but at this point you are better off removing events than trying to cut athlete quotas.

 

Aquatics (Diving)

Current – 10 Events, 70 Athletes

Proposed – 8 Events, 60 Athletes

 

The two 1m springboard events were dropped. Diving is not a popular sport on this continent and the only reason why the synchronized events remain is because they are on the Olympic program. Finding eight nations, especially for 10m synchronized platform is difficult.

 

Aquatics (Open Water Swimming)

Current – 2 Events, 40 Athletes

Proposed – 2 Events, 32 Athletes

 

In a world where sports and events are struggling for quotas 20 athletes in the open water events are too much. Not exactly sure why the quotas for this event have been slowly increasing over each games.

 

Aquatics (Swimming)

Current – 36 Events, 350 Athletes

Proposed – 36 Events, 350 Athletes

 

Not a fan of having both a gendered and mixed relay, but as seeing that’s the path FINA is taking, I begrudgingly accept it. 350 athletes may seem small, but remember many swimmers compete in multiple events and there is a maximum limit of 18 athletes per gender per NOC. The athlete limit isn’t too bad, even among top nations it guarantees a different athlete could in theory compete in all events plus have a few left over to make relay teams. Removing the athlete quota only benefits the United States and to an extent Brazil and Canada and we would likely have to bump up the athlete quota to at least 375. I do hope they make a bigger effort to include 8 teams in each relay.

 

Archery

Current – 8 Events, 84 Athletes

Proposed – 8 Events, 88 Athletes

 

Compound archery has been recently added, but I feel it has been popular enough to warrant a spot at the Pan American Games for a while. The extra four athletes are to bump up the mixed team event to eight teams and the individual events to 12 athletes.

 

Badminton

Current – 5 Events, 88 Athletes

Proposed – 5 Events, 96 Athletes

 

The increase in athletes is to help guarantee 12 entrants per event. I’d also propose an increase to the maximum athlete per nation to five per gender. Regardless, the qualification system for this sport needs to change.

 

Basque Pelota

Current – 10 Events, 80 Athletes

Proposed – 0 Events, 0 Athletes

 

While popular in South America and Mexico the event is pretty non-existent elsewhere. There just aren’t enough nations to warrant the inclusion of this sport. Even in 2019 most events will only have 5 nations.

 

Basketball

Current – 4 Events, 240 Athletes

Proposed – 4 Events, 256 Athletes

 

3x3 Basketball isn’t popular in Pan America, but since it is part of the Olympics, I have increased the quota to 8 teams each.

 

Bodybuilding

Current – 2 Events, 32 Athletes

Proposed – 0 Events, 0 Athletes

 

The sport is not that popular and is only making its Pan American debut because of Peru.

 

Boxing

Current – 15 Events, 120 Athletes

Proposed – 13 Events, 104 Athletes

 

Boxing has been reduced to 13 events at the 2020 Olympics, though it may struggle to stay on the Olympic program. Even if it does leave the Olympics it should remain a Pan American sport. As the women’s side continues to grow, I imagine this sport will gain more events and athletes.

 

Canoeing (Slalom)

Current – 6 Events, 44 Athletes

Proposed – 4 Events, 32 Athletes

 

As much as I like the idea of extreme slalom, the event isn’t even fully developed worldwide, let alone at the Pan American level. The only reason we have any slalom events at all is because they are part of the Olympics.

 

Canoeing (Sprint)

Current – 12 Events, 125 Athletes

Proposed – 12 Events, 136 Athletes

 

Canoeing gets very complicated with athlete and boat quotas. To simplify things, enough athlete quotas will be given to fill eight K4 and C2 boats and enough athlete quotas for four boats in the other events. Typically, athletes compete in multiple events and this likely gives at least eight boats in all events.

 

Cycling (Road/Track)

Current – 16 Events, 160 Athletes

Proposed – 4 (Road) + 12 (Track) Events, 40 (Road) + 144 (Track) Athletes

 

I’ve decided to split the road and track disciplines. 24 males and 16 females will qualify directly to the road race, but athletes qualified in other disciplines may participate in the road race. In track cycling I mostly followed the qualification system for the Olympics. 8 teams for sprint and pursuit and four entrants in the other events plus athletes from nations qualified in other sprint or long-distance events.

 

Equestrian

Current – 6 Events, 150 Athletes

Proposed – 6 Events, 136 Athletes

 

Both dressage and eventing had a reduction of two teams, the events are just not popular enough while jumping had an increase of two individual athletes. We could follow what was done at the Olympics and have three athlete teams (108 total athletes), but to be honest, three athlete teams make the team events into a farce.

 

Golf

Current – 3 Events, 64 Athletes

Proposed – 3 Events, 48 Athletes

 

Golf isn’t big enough to warrant a 32 person field at the Pan American Games.

 

Gymnastics

Current – 24 Events, 184 Athletes

Proposed – 24 Events, 194 Athletes

 

I question the need for apparatus medals in rhythmic gymnastics, but since it doesn’t add to the athlete numbers, I’m leaving it for now. The athlete increase is due to the group rhythmic gymnastics now having eight teams.

 

Karate

Current – 14 Events, 132 Athletes

Proposed – 12 Events, 96 Athletes

 

Team kata is unneeded and thus it and its athlete quotas were removed.

 

Modern Pentathlon

Current – 5 Events, 64 Athletes

Proposed – 3 Events, 48 Athletes

 

Modern pentathlon is not popular enough to have that many athletes. As a consequence, the men’s and women’s relays event were dropped, but the mixed relay event remains.

 

Racquetball

Current – 6 Events, 60 Athletes

Proposed – 6 Events, 60 Athletes

 

No changes, but I would like a different qualification system.

 

Rowing

Current – 14 Events, 220 Athletes

Proposed – 13 Events, 240 Athletes

 

The only Olympic event that is dropped from my proposal is the men’s coxed eights event. To be fair, the event was made up of athletes competing in other events which is uncommon for an entire crew to do so. With the Olympics dropping men’s lightweight coxless fours and adding women’s coxless fours there is some pressure to follow suit. Personally, it’s a bit premature to add the women’s event, but to save on athletes I changed the men’s lightweight fours to lightweight single sculls, to match the women’s event. Overall there will be 12 boats in singles events and 8 boats in all other events.

 

Roller Sports

Current – 12 Events, 56 Athletes (Minus Skateboarding)

Proposed – 12 Events, 64 Athletes (+48 for Skateboarding)

 

The main qualification document does not have skateboarding listed and I couldn’t find one. Regardless, I feel 12 athletes per event for skateboarding is enough. I also slightly bumped up the quotas for speed skating. I wouldn’t mind increasing the maximum athlete per nation to 3 per gender with a maximum of 2 per event.

 

Sailing

Current – 10 Events, 148 Athletes

Proposed – 10 Events, 148 Athletes

 

Despite having a different program than the Olympics, most of these boats are mainstays at the Pan American Games. Kiteboarding is new and I’m not exactly sold on it being a right fit for the games, but it is rumoured to be part of the Olympics. At this point it is better to wait and see.

 

Shooting

Current – 15 Events, 256 Athletes

Proposed – 15 Events, 224 Athletes

 

Despite losing three individual events, shooting didn’t lose any quotas. Even after readjusting; 16 per rifle and pistol event, 24 for male shotgun and 12 for female shotgun and giving 24 quotas to guarantee mixed team entrants we still have 32 quotas left to return.

 

Softball

Current – 2 Events, 180 Athletes

Proposed – 1 Event, 120 Athletes

 

Men’s softball is not developed enough to have a team, the women’s event has been bumped up to eight teams.

 

Squash

Current – 7 Events, 60 Athletes

Proposed – 7 Events, 72 Athletes

 

The women’s numbers have matched the men. I also suggest a different qualification system to ensure individuals can also qualify.

 

Surfing

Current – 8 Events, 88 Athletes

Proposed – 2 Events, 32 Athletes

 

I don’t think the Pan American Games are ready for such a large surfing program. I reduced it to the Olympic shortboard events.

 

Taekwondo

Current – 12 Events, 140 Athletes

Proposed – 8 Events, 96 Athletes

 

Removed the Poomsae events, I don’t think they are ready for the Pan American Games.

 

Tennis

Current – 5 Events, 80 Athletes

Proposed – 5 Events, 80 Athletes

 

No changes, but a better qualification system is needed.

 

Water Skiing

Current – 10 Events, 48 Athletes

Proposed – 10 Events, 56 Athletes

 

The qualification system needs to be changed, the additional athletes helps add specialists plus helps guarantee eight athletes per event. In general, each nation may qualify up to 3 athletes per gender in water skiing and 1 athlete per gender in wakeboarding. Top 8 athletes in overall and wakeboarding qualify while the top four qualify each in tricks/slalom/jumps. Athletes are allowed to compete in other events.

 

Weightlifting

Current – 14 Events, 126 Athletes

Proposed – 14 Events, 126 Athletes

 

No changes, but a different qualification system will be needed.

 

[intoronto 6,892]

6 hours ago, JoshMartini007 said:

Had some spare time so here’s my proposal for future Pan American Games events and athlete numbers. In general, I strive to reach a balance between keeping athlete numbers low without turning the event into a farce. This basically means I won’t have events with fewer than 8 entrants competing. Olympic events will be prioritized though sports like sailing will follow Pan American tradition. Only sports with changes or general comments are listed.

 

 

Skateboarding will have a quota of 32 in Lima. What about BMX/MTB?

[intoronto 6,892]

Not 100% certain, but it appears the baseball competition will just be in a round robin format, with the top 3 placed teams earning medals.

[mrv86 3,265]

2 minutes ago, intoronto said:

Not 100% certain, but it appears the baseball competition will just be in a round robin format, with the top 3 placed teams earning medals.

 

Well, it could make it more interesting than having two groups.

[intoronto 6,892]

A 11th medal event has been added to the sailing program, and the quota increased by 20. https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2019/01/16/additional-medal-event-pan/

[JoshMartini007 2,861]

Interesting news, I hope someone confirms/denies that the Laser/Laser Radial quotas will be split between the two continents like in 2016. The qualification document is a bit ambiguous.

 

Also I thought the 2020 World Championships was suppose to be the qualifier (along with Oceania). I guess we need World Sailing to make a final ruling...

Edited January 17, 2019 by JoshMartini007

[intoronto 6,892]

Swimming/Track and field have the same competition days ... that will be interesting.