United States dominates medal tally at Santiago 2023 © Getty Images

Despite the absence of some of their star athletes, the United States showed their dominance and reaffirmed their position as a global sporting powerhouse. This marks the eighteenth time that the United States has topped the medal table at the Panam Games, the only exception being in 1991, when a meticulously prepared event in Havana led to a stellar performance by Cuban athletes, by the Cuban athletes, who won 140 gold medals to the United States' 130.

The United States won a total of 286 medals, with an impressive 124 gold, 75 silver, and 87 bronze medals. These figures closely mirror their performance at the previous edition in Lima 2019, where they clinched more medals (293), but fewer golds (122). Of the 124 Pan American titles, 52 were in the men's category, 61 in the women's and 11 in the mixed events.

The United States' best performance at the Panam Games dates was in Mar del Plata in 1995, when they achieved a staggering 425 medals, including 170 gold, 145 silver, and 110 bronze. In 1959 in Chicago, they won 121 gold medals, almost three times as many as the 42 won by the other participating countries.

Maintaining its position from four years earlier, Brazil secured their best performance at the Pan American Games with 205 podium finishes, including 66 gold medals, 73 second places and 66 third ones.

© Getty Images
© Getty Images

Mexico once again took third place with an impressive tally of 52 gold, 38 silver, and 52 bronze medals. Meanwhile, Canada remained in fourth position with 46 titles, 55 second places and 63 third places. Cuba secured fifth spot with 30-22-17.

As for Chile, the organisers had their best overall performance, increasing their medal tally from 50 to 79 and setting a new record for podium finishes. However, the number of gold medals dropped from 14 to 12. They team also won 36 bronze and 31 silver medals, including both men's and women's football.

Completing the 'top ten' of these Panam Games was Colombia, who finished sixth with 29-38-34 bronze medals for a total of 101. Argentina finished seventh (15- 25-23 and 75), Peru ninth (10-6-10 and 26), and Venezuela tenth (8-15-21 and 44).

In total, 35 out of the 40 participating countries were represented on the medals table. In addition, Guatemalan athletes secured 19 medals, competing independently due to the suspension of their Olympic Committee by the IOC in a move that sparked discussion and debate.

Bermuda, Dominica, Honduras, and Saint Kitts and Nevis each took one bronze, while the Cayman Islands, Grenada, Belize, the British Virgin Islands and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines did not achieved any medal.