The South American Games (also known as ODESUR Games; Spanish: Juegos Suramericanos; Portuguese: Jogos Sul-Americanos), formerly the Southern Cross Games (Spanish: Juegos Cruz del Sur) is a regional multi-sport event held between nations from South America, organized by the ODESUR (acronym for "Organización Deportiva Suramericana" – South American Sports Organization).

The first Games were held in 1978 in La Paz, Bolivia. They have since been held every four years, with the most recent edition in 2022 in Asunción, Paraguay. The Games have had an equivalent to the Olympic Flame since their inception: the South American Flame, which is relayed from Tiahuanaco, Bolivia, to the host city.

For the XI edition in 2018 there were two bids: Cochabamba, Bolivia, and Barquisimeto, Venezuela, with the final hosting decision in favour of Cochabamba in 2011. Starting with the 2014 edition, the South American Para Games are held for South American Paralympic athletes. Just like the Olympic Games, the host city for the South American Games is also the host for Para-South American Games.

The detailed history of the South American Games together with an extensive list of medal winners was published in a book written (in Spanish) by Argentine journalist Ernesto Rodríguez III with support of the Argentine Olympic Committee under the auspices of the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Sports Secretary of Argentina. Participants 15 ODESUR members along to the code COI of each one

(ARG) (ARU) (BOL) (BRA) (CHL) (COL) (CUW) (ECU) (GUY) (PAN) (PAR) (PER) (SUR) (URU) (VEN)

Games Year Games Host City Host Country Opened by Dates Athletes Nations Sports Top medallingnation 1978 1 La Paz Juan Pereda 3 – 12 November 480 8 16 1982 2 Rosario Reynaldo Bignone 26 November – 5 December 961 10 19 1986 3 SantiagoAugusto Pinochet 28 November – 8 December 969 10 17 1990 4 LimaAlberto Fujimori 1 – 10 December 1,070 10 16 1994 5 ValenciaRafael Caldera 19 – 28 November 1,599 14 19 1998 6 CuencaGustavo Noboa 21 – 31 October 1,525 14 24 2002 7 Belém, Curitiba, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo Each host city has your own opening ceremonies 1 – 11 August 2,069 13 24 2006 8 Buenos AiresDaniel Scioli 9 – 19 November 2,938 15 28 2010 9 MedellínÁlvaro Uribe 19 – 30 March 3,751 15 31 2014 10 Santiago Sebastián Piñera 7 – 18 March 3,499 14 33 2018 11 CochabambaEvo Morales 26 May – 8 June4,0101435 2022 12 Asunción Diego Galeano 1 – 15 October4,4761534 2026 13 Rosario, Santa Fe, and Rafaela Maximiliano Pullaro 12 – 26 September 5,000 15 43

Para Games

Year Games Host City Host Country Opened by Dates Athletes Nations Sports Top medallingnation 2014 1 Santiago Michelle Bachelet 26 – 30 March 600+ 8 7 2018 – CochabambaCancelled2026 2Valledupar Gustavo Petro 5 – 15 July 1064 11 13

Youth Games

Year Games Host City Host Country Opened by Dates Athletes Nations Sports Events Top medallingnation 2013 1 Lima Ollanta Humala 20 – 29 September 1,200 14 19 178 2017 2 Santiago Michelle Bachelet 29 September – 8 October 1,279 14 20 210 2022 3 Rosario Omar Perotti 28 April – 8 May 2,500 15 26 205 2026 4 Panama City José Raúl Mulino 12 April – 25 April 2,000 15 24 211

Beach Games

Year Games Host City Host Country Opened by Dates Athletes Nations Sports Top medallingnation 2009 1 Punta del Este/Montevideo 3 – 13 December 12 9 2011 2 Manta 2 – 12 December 675 13 10 2014 3 Vargas Nicolás Maduro 14 – 24 May 12 10 2017 – Pimentelcolspan=6 2019 4Rosario Mauricio Macri 14 – 23 March 14 13 2023 5 Santa Marta Astrid Rodríguez 14 – 21 July 800 15 14

Masters Games

Year Games Host City Host Country Opened by Dates Athletes Nations Sports Top medallingnation 2021 – SantiagoCancelled

School Games

The South American School Games have been held since 1991. 27th was held in Santiago, Chile.

Medals (1978–2026)

The total medal count for all the Games until 2026 is tabulated below. This table is sorted by the number of gold medals earned by each country. The number of silver medals is taken into consideration next, and then the number of bronze medals.

South American Games medal countRankNationGoldSilverBronze Total110219139272861299580772025223651562560177346145556121781544154566516516237321438996722929244296389314318742393889166293103679942091121224588129312241377173114310152815251926161113Total43984355492613679

Sports

Disciplines from the same sport are grouped under the same color:

Aquatics – Cycling – Football – Gymnastics – Roller sports – Volleyball

Sport (discipline) Body 78 82 86 90 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 22WorldSouth America   Diving AQUA ASUA X X X X X X Open water swimming X X X X X Swimming X X X X X X X X X X X Synchronized swimming X X X X X X Water polo X X X   Archery WA AAF X X X X X X X Athletics World Athletics CONSUDATLE X X X X X X X X X X X X Badminton BWF BPA X X X X Baseball WBSC WBSC Americas X X X X X Softball X X X Basketball FIBA ABASU X X X X X X X Basque pelota FIPV X Bocce WPBF X X Bodybuilding IFBB IFBBSud America X X Bowling IBF PABCON X X X X X X X X X X Boxing World Boxing AMBC X X X X X X X X X X X X Canoeing ICF COPAC X X X X X X X X   BMX racing UCI COPACI X X X X X Mountain biking X X X X X X X Road cycling X X X X X X X X X X X X Track cycling X X X X X X X X X X X   Equestrian FEI PAEC X X X X X X X Fencing FIE CPE X X X X X X X X X X X X Field hockey FIH PAHF X X X X   Football FIFA CONMEBOL X X X X X X X X Futsal X X X X X X X Beach soccer X   Golf IGF FSG X X X X   Artistic gymnastics World Gymnastics CONSUGI X X X X X X X X X X X X Rhythmic gymnastics X X X X X X X X X Trampoline X X   Handball IHF PATHF X X X X X X Judo IJF PJC X X X X X X X X X X X X Karate WKF PKF X X X X X X X X Modern pentathlon UIPM X X Racquetball IRF PARC X X   Artistic roller skating WS CPRS X X X X X X X X Roller hockey X X Roller speed skating X X X X X X X   Rowing World Rowing X X X X X X X X Rugby sevens WR SAR X X X Sailing World Sailing SASC X X X X X X X X X X Scuba diving X Shooting ISSF CAT X X X X X X X X X X X X Squash World Squash FPS X X X Table tennis ITTF LATTU X X X X X X X X X X Taekwondo World Taekwondo PATU X X X X X X X X X X Tennis ITF COSAT X X X X X X X X X X X X Triathlon TRI PATCO X X X X X X X   Beach volleyball FIVB CSV X X X X Indoor volleyball X X X X X X   Water skiing IWWF IWWF Pan Am X X X X X Weightlifting IWF PAWC X X X X X X X X X X X X Wrestling UWW CPLA X X X X X X X X X X X X   Total events 171 249 193 260 296 357 380 463 486 317 373

See also Ibero American Games Pan American Games Parapan American Games Central American and Caribbean Games Central American Games Bolivarian Games South American Masters Games Pan American Masters Games South American University Games World Indigenous Games Indigenous Peoples' Games ALBA Games CARIFTA Games

References

External links ODESUR official website South American Games at ODESUR web page Para South American Games