The Guadalajara 2011 Pan American Games are due to begin this Friday (October 14) with more than 6,000 athletes from 41 nations set to compete across 36 sports.

The event is the second largest multisport event in the planet behind the Olympic Games and Nuzman said that the fact that Rio successfully hosted the last Pan American Games and Parapan American Games in 2007 helped convince the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to award the city the 2016 Games at their session in Copenhagen in October 2009.

"The main legacy left by the Pan American Games Rio 2007 to the city, Brazil and South America was the right to host the Olympic Games for the first time," Nuzman said at the Pan American Sport Organisation (PASO) General Assembly, which is currently taking place in Guadalajara.

"Each Pan American Games host has its own objective.

"Rio's biggest goal was to host the Olympic Games and we are happy to have been able to achieve it.

"I hope Guadalajara also reaches its targets and I am sure it will deliver magnificent Games."

As a result of hosting the 2007 Pan American Games, 47 per cent of the 2016 Olympic venues already exist.

A further 25 per cent of the venues will be temporary and only 28 per cent will have to be built.


The success of the Rio 2007 Games has also been praised at the PASO General Assembly by those involved with the organisation of the Guadalajara 2011 Pan American Games, including Emilio González Márquez, the Governor of the state of Jalisco, which is where Guadalajara resides.

"Rio de Janeiro took the Pan American Games to another level which is difficult to match," he said.

"We all remember Olympic-level venues such as the João Havelange Stadium (pictured)."

The director general of the Guadalajara Organising Committee Carlos Andrade Garín added: "As Rio split the Games history into before and after 2007, we hope Guadalajara also offers its contribution.

"Because of the Rio Games, we changed our initial plan and instead of six, decided to build 23 sports venues."

Guadalajara is thought to have its ambitions of hosting the Olympic Games in the future.

The city bid for the 2014 Youth Olympics before pulling out due to financial obligations caused by falling behind schedule on construction for the Pan American Games.

There were also suggestions that they would bid for the 2020 Olympics although an application was never put forward, while they may consider a 2024 bid if the Pan American Games prove a success.

Mexican neighbours Monterrey will also be hoping for a successful event as they have launched a bid to host the 2018 Youth Olympics.

Monterrey had also bid for the 2014Youth Olympics but the Mexican Olympic Committee selected Guadalajara as Mexico's bidding city.

Monterrey will be hoping that a successful event will show the IOC that the country can stage a high profile multisport event.

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