The 2014 South American Games (), officially the X South American Games and commonly known as Santiago 2014, was a multi-sport event held in Santiago, Chile, from March 7 to 18, 2014. It was the tenth edition of the South American Games, organized by the Organización Deportiva Suramericana (ODESUR). Santiago hosted the event for the second time, having previously staged the 1986 South American Games.

Fourteen national Olympic committees sent a combined 3,499 athletes to compete in 317 medal events across 33 sports and 43 disciplines. Most competitions took place in and around the renovated National Stadium in the Ñuñoa district of Santiago, with additional venues in Peñalolén and in several cities of the Valparaíso Region, including Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Curauma, Quillota and Concón. Brazil topped the final medal table with 110 gold medals, followed by Colombia and Venezuela, while host nation Chile finished fifth.

Santiago had originally lost its bid to host the 2010 South American Games to Medellín in 2006 but, under ODESUR's runner-up policy, was awarded the 2014 edition instead. Preparations were briefly thrown into doubt by the 2010 Chile earthquake, and the Games were later the subject of scrutiny after Chile's Comptroller General found that a large share of public spending on the event could not be properly accounted for.

Bid and background The cities that applied to host the 2010 South American Games were Barquisimeto, Medellín and Santiago; Barquisimeto's bid was ultimately excluded for failing to meet ODESUR's requirements, leaving Medellín and Santiago as the only contenders. The host was chosen on November 7, 2006, at an ODESUR congress in Buenos Aires that preceded the 2006 South American Games; Medellín won by a vote of 8 to 6, and under ODESUR convention the runner-up, Santiago, was awarded the following edition, in 2014. An ODESUR General Assembly held in Montevideo in May 2009 formally ratified Santiago as host of the 2014 Games.

The 2010 Chile earthquake of February 27, 2010, struck central-southern Chile, destroying thousands of homes and buildings; although Santiago suffered comparatively limited damage, the government's need to prioritize reconstruction elsewhere in the country raised doubts about the feasibility of organizing the Games. At an ODESUR General Assembly on March 19, 2010, the organization gave the Santiago 2014 organizing committee until September 30 of that year to confirm, together with the Chilean government, whether it could still deliver the event. ODESUR president Carlos Arthur Nuzman said he had offered to visit Chile to help the organizers resolve the problems, and noted that the country had been given six months to present a budget and clarify how the Games would proceed following the earthquake.

Despite the uncertainty, a formal handover ceremony took place in Medellín on March 30, 2010, when the Games' symbolic relay passed to the Chilean delegation attending the closing of that year's edition. On August 15, 2010, the Chilean government confirmed that Santiago would proceed as host. President Sebastián Piñera said the Odesur Games would be held in Chile in 2014 and expressed hope that they would be remembered as the best in the event's history, citing organization, infrastructure and the country's sporting achievements.

Organization The executive director of the Santiago 2014 organizing committee was Marcela González, who sat on the board of the Corporación X Juegos Suramericanos Santiago 2014 alongside Chilean Olympic Committee president Neven Ilic and Chile's minister of sport, Gabriel Ruiz-Tagle. The Chilean government and the Chilean Olympic Committee also organized the inaugural Para-South American Games, held in Santiago between March 27 and April 2, 1014, immediately after the main Games.

To prepare for the Games, Santiago carried out several sports-infrastructure projects, with investment estimated at close to US$35 million, intended as a lasting legacy for the development of elite Chilean athletes. Among the projects were the remodeling of the National Stadium's swimming facilities into what became the Aquatic Center and the construction of the National Stadium multi-sport complex and the Peñalolén Park velodrome, which at approximately US$18 million was the single most expensive venue built for the Games. To help offset costs, organizers pursued a commercial strategy based on selling naming rights to sports venues to private companies.

Around 2,800 volunteers, many drawn from educational institutions across Santiago, served as hosts throughout the twelve days of competition.

Torch relay and mascot The South American flame was lit on February 26, 2014, at the Puerta del Sol site in Tiwanaku, Bolivia. The flame was lit by the president of the Bolivian Olympic Committee, Álvaro Guzmán, who handed it to Bolivia's minister of sport, Tito Montaño; he in turn passed it to Chile's minister of sport, Gabriel Ruiz-Tagle. The relay subsequently traveled from Tiwanaku through Quillota, Viña del Mar, Curauma and Concón before reaching Santiago, where the South American cauldron was lit during the opening ceremony on March 7, 2014. The final leg of the torch relay in Santiago was run by former athlete Marlene Ahrens, tennis player Fernando González, Carlos Lucas and footballer Iván Zamorano, with swimmer-turned-tennis-champion Nicolás Massú lighting the cauldron.

The official mascot of the Games was Chago, based on the Andean condor, one of the two animals depicted on the coat of arms of Chile. According to organizers, the mascot was meant to symbolize effort, dedication and teamwork.

Opening and closing ceremonies The opening ceremony was held on the evening of March 7, 2014, at the National Stadium and was presided over by President Sebastián Piñera. It featured the traditional parade of the fourteen participating delegations, led for Chile by gymnast Tomás González, and was attended by prominent figures from Chilean Olympic history, including tennis player Nicolás Massú and former footballer Iván Zamorano. Chilean Olympic Committee president Neven Ilic said the ceremony would tell the story of Chile and would be followed by a concert headlined by Chilean singer Américo, and estimated the crowd at around 25,000 spectators. Although the ceremony began at 22:00 local time, the first competition of the Games, in water skiing, had already taken place that morning at Laguna Los Morros. The Games concluded with a closing ceremony at the National Stadium on March 18, 2014.

Venues The Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos was renovated to seat approximately 70,000 spectators and given a new roof, inspired by Berlin's Olympiastadion. The Aquatic Center, tennis courts, and archery, handball and velodrome venues were built adjacent to the National Stadium.

Competition was centered on two hubs: the National Stadium complex in Ñuñoa, which hosted athletics, tennis, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, aquatics and speed skating, and Peñalolén Park, which hosted track cycling, BMX, beach volleyball and archery. Additional venues were used across Santiago and the Valparaíso Region, including the Chimkowe Sports Center, two Olympic Training Centers, the Military School, the La Florida Bicentennial Stadium, Mahuida Park, Manquehue Club, the Higuerillas Yacht Club in Concón, and the Sausalito multi-sport complex in Viña del Mar.

Sport Discipline Venue City Athletics Athletics National Stadium Santiago Basketball Basketball Olympic Training Center II Santiago Handball Handball Viña del Mar Multi-sport Gymnasium Viña del Mar Bowling Bowling Mall Plaza Vespucio Santiago Boxing Boxing Carabineros de Chile Multi-sport Complex Santiago Canoeing Canoeing Laguna La Luz Curauma Cycling Track cycling Peñalolén Velodrome Santiago Road cycling Streets of Santiago Santiago Mountain biking Cerro San Cristóbal Santiago BMX Peñalolén Park Santiago Equestrian Equestrian Granaderos de Quillota Regiment Quillota Fencing Fencing High Performance Center Santiago Water skiing Water skiing Laguna Los Morros Santiago Football Football La Florida Bicentennial Stadium Santiago Futsal Futsal Chimkowe Sports Center SantiagoGymnastics Artistic gymnastics National Stadium Multi-sport Gymnasium Santiago Rhythmic gymnastics National Stadium Multi-sport Gymnasium Santiago Golf Golf San Cristóbal Polo and Equestrian Club Santiago Weightlifting Weightlifting La Cúpula Theater, O'Higgins Park Santiago Hockey Field hockey Manquehue Club Santiago Judo Judo Olympic Training Center I Santiago Karate Karate Olympic Training Center I Santiago Wrestling Wrestling Carabineros de Chile Multi-sport Complex Santiago Aquatics Swimming National Stadium Aquatic Center Santiago Synchronized swimming National Stadium Aquatic Center Santiago Diving National Stadium Aquatic Center Santiago Open water swimming Laguna La Luz Curauma Water polo National Stadium Aquatic Center SantiagoRoller skating Speed skating National Stadium Skating Rink Santiago Figure skating National Stadium Skating Rink Santiago Modern pentathlon Modern pentathlon Military School Santiago Rowing Rowing Laguna La Luz Curauma Rugby sevens Rugby sevens Mahuida Park High Performance Center Santiago Taekwondo Taekwondo Olympic Training Center I Santiago Tennis Tennis National Stadium Central Court Santiago Table tennis Table tennis Sergio Livingstone Pohlhammer Multi-sport Complex Santiago Archery Archery Peñalolén Park Archery Center Santiago Shooting Rifle/pistol Route 68 Shooting Range Santiago Shooting Trap/skeet El Bosque Air Base Shooting Center (FACH) Santiago Triathlon Triathlon Viña del Mar coastline Viña del Mar Sailing Sailing Higuerillas Yacht Club Concón Volleyball Volleyball Ñuñoa Multi-sport Gymnasium Santiago Beach volleyball Peñalolén Park Santiago

Participating nations Fourteen countries competed at the Games,Countries and their athletes from the official website one fewer than at the 2010 South American Games, as the Netherlands Antilles did not send a delegation following the dissolution of their country.

(510 athletes) (10) (121) (491) (575) (Host) (391) (264) (8) (41) (191) (261) (27) (235) (374)

Sports Relative to the 2010 South American Games, the Santiago 2014 program dropped baseball, softball, badminton and squash, while adding golf, rugby sevens, modern pentathlon, and field hockey. The close of entries also forced the exclusion of several previously planned events, including synchronized diving pairs, women's water polo and roller hockey.

Aquatics

Cycling () BMX (2) Mountain biking (2) Road (4) Track (10) Equestrian () Dressage (2) Jumping (2)

Gymnastics () Artistic gymnastics (14) Rhythmic gymnastics (6)

Roller skating () Figure skating (2) Speed skating (6)

Volleyball Volleyball (2) () Beach volleyball (2)

Wrestling () Freestyle (11) Greco-Roman (6)

Calendar

Sport 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Total Opening ceremony ● Athletics 7 12 12 11 42 Basketball 2 2 Handball 1 1 2 Bowling 2 2 4 Boxing 12 12 Canoeing 5 2 5 12 Cycling 2 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 18 Equestrian 1 1 1 1 4 Fencing 2 2 2 1 1 2 10 Water skiing 8 2 10 Football 1 1 2 Futsal 1 1 Gymnastics 5 5 4 14 Golf 2 2 Weightlifting 3 3 4 5 15 Field hockey 2 2 Judo 3 4 4 3 14 Karate 2 4 4 10 Wrestling 6 5 6 17 Swimming 8 8 9 9 1 1 4 1 41 Roller skating 4 2 2 8 Modern pentathlon 1 1 1 3 Rowing 4 3 7 Rugby sevens 2 2 Taekwondo 4 2 2 8 Tennis 3 2 5 Table tennis 2 2 1 2 7 Shooting 1 2 2 3 2 2 2 14 Archery 1 1 3 5 Triathlon 2 1 3 Sailing 6 6 Volleyball 1 1 2 Beach volleyball 2 2 Closing ceremony ● 305 Sport 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Total

Medal table

Controversies