Barranquilla in Colombia has been stripped of the 2027 Pan American Games, the Panam Sport Organization (PASO) announced in a statement Wednesday.
The Executive Board made the unanimous decision after Barranquilla 2027 officials let a December 30 deadline pass without responding to contract obligations that included a required payment. Colombia had already been granted an extension after it was requested of PASO last October.
PASO pointed to “countless breaches of the current contract” leading up to the final decision.
“Panam Sports profoundly regrets this situation but has made this decision with the future of the greatest multisport event of the Americas and the athletes of the continent in mind,” the PASO statement read.
Barranquilla was passed the Pan Am Games flag from Santiago only two months ago after the 2023 edition wrapped up in Chile. It was at those Games that Colombian organizers were warned that the contract was in jeopardy.
The development will force PASO officials to scramble as they try to find a replacement host for the 2027 edition. Barranquilla was elected unopposed in 2021, one year behind PASO’s schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Typically given seven years to organize, the new host may only have four years if signed on quickly.
PASO is expected to reopen the bid process over the next few months.
🚨COMUNICADO OFICIAL: JUEGOS PANAMERICANOS 2027 📢 pic.twitter.com/jGDuKY1KMd
— Panam Sports (@PanamSports) January 3, 2024
Asunción in Paraguay, already preparing to host the 2025 Junior Pan American Games, has emerged as a potential replacement.
Sports officials representing Mexico’s Jalisco and Nuevo Leon are also considering bidding for the event that last year hosted almost 7,000 athletes across 39 sports.
Otherwise finding a new host in the Americas on short notice will be a challenge with other high profile events taking place across the continents this decade. Canada, Mexico and the United States will jointly stage the 2026 FIFA World Cup in several cities and Mexico and United States are in the running to host the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay in South America are scheduled to host opening matches of the 2030 FIFA World Cup before the tournament shifts to Portugal, Spain and Morocco.
Los Angeles is set the to host the 2028 Olympic Games and the United States will also be preparing to welcome the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
In Canada Vancouver canceled plans to bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics and both Hamilton and the Province of Alberta backpedaled on bids to host the Commonwealth Games.
The last two Pan Am Games were held in South America by Lima 2019 and Santiago. The last Games staged in North America was in Toronto in 2015.
This latest contract cancelation only underlines a disturbing trend of failed regional and continental events over the past few years.
Santiago struggled staging the Pan Am Games October amid construction delays that persisted after the opening, and reports of empty seats at venues. The event may be remembered most for the incorrectly measured 20 km race walk course that was 3 kilometers short giving judges the impression that the first place finisher had smashed the world record.
In 2017 Durban, South Africa was stripped of the Commonwealth Games after missing a milestone payment, sending the event into a downward spiral from which Commonwealth Sport is still trying to recover. Birmingham, U.K. had been vying for the 2026 edition but stepped in to replace Durban in 2022 on short notice. That left a gap for 2026 that was difficult to fill amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Victoria in Australia eventually came to terms on a host contract unopposed, only to back out months later when budgeted costs were said to have skyrocketed.
Commonwealth Sport is still struggling to find a 2026 host with only two years remaining and a contingency is in place to stage the event in 2027 if necessary.
Earlier this year the 2023 African Games set to be held in Ghana were postponed due to disputes among sport confederations. The event that will be staged jointly by Accra, Kumasi, and Cape Coast will now take place in March 2024.
The global sports calendar has reached a saturation point with more sports, more events and more participating nations and athletes than ever before. The broadening scope, skyrocketing costs and greater competition to attract fans has moved many of these events beyond the reach of most potential hosts.
As international sport federations take greater control by organizing their own championships and qualifying events, continental and regional Games could become obsolete.
