The 2007 Pan American Games – involving more than 5,600 athletes from 42 countries in the Americas, competing in more than 30 different sports – began on 12 July in Rio de Janeiro. The opening ceremony at the famous Maracanã stadium was attended by over 90,000 people. The games finish on 29 July, and will be followed in August by the Parapan American Games for athletes with disabilities.

These are the second Pan American Games in Brazil, the first having taken place in 1963 in São Paulo. They will have an important legacy for Rio in terms of sports facilities – for example the ultra-modern, multipurpose João Havelange stadium, the Deodoro sports complex, and the aquatic park in Jacarepaguá – and transport infrastructure.

With Brazil already having expressed a desire to stage the 2014 football World Cup and the 2016 summer Olympics, the current games are set to boost the country’s credentials for hosting major international sporting events.

Source: Embassy of Brazil in London