The Bolivarian Games (Spanish: ''Juegos Bolivarianos'', full name ''Juegos Deportivos Bolivarianos'') are a regional

multi-sport event A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports among organized teams of athletes from (mostly) nation-states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of interna ...

held in honor of Simón Bolívar, and organized by the Bolivarian Sports Organization (''Organización Deportiva Bolivariana'', ODEBO). The event is open to athletes from Bolivia, Colombia,

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

, and

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

. In 2010, the ODEBO decided to include

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

as the seventh member of ODEBO. Except Panama, all other participating countries are

Andean states The Andean states ( es, Estados Andinos) are a group of countries in western South America connected by the Andes mountain range. The "Andean States" is sometimes used to refer to all seven countries that the Andes runs through, regions with a sh ...

History

The first Games were held in 1938 in Bogotá, Colombia for the city's 400th anniversary. They have since been held irregularly, but every four years since 1973, with the most recent edition in

Valledupar Valledupar () is a city and municipality in northeastern Colombia. It is the capital of Caesar Department. Its name, ''Valle de Upar'' (Valley of Upar), was established in honor of the Amerindian cacique who ruled the valley; ''Cacique Upar''. T ...

, Colombia in 2022. Inspired by the events of 1936 Summer Olympics in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

,Creacion
. Juegos Bolivarianos. Retrieved on 2009-11-27. Alberto Nariño Cheyne was the key designer of the idea of a Games to foster unity among the Bolivarian countries through the means of sport. Following the first Games, the Bolivarian Sports Organization was formed as a sub-organisation of the Pan American Sports Organization by six founding members from the respective countries – Jorge Rodríguez Hurtado (Bolivia), Alberto Nariño Cheyne (Colombia), Galo Plaza Lasso (Ecuador), Luis Saavedra (Panama), Alfredo Hohagen Diez Canseco (Peru) and Julio Bustamante (Venezuela). In terms of medals, Peru was dominant in the early years of the competition but Venezuela has consistently been the most successful country since the 1960s. A detailed history of the early editions of the Bolivarian Games between 1938 and 1989 was published in a book written (in Spanish) by José Gamarra Zorrilla, former president of the Bolivian Olympic Committee, and first president (1976-1982) of

ODESUR The Organización Deportiva Suramericana (ODESUR) is a multi-sports organisation. They organize the South American Games. Affiliates There are 15 affiliated National Olympic Committees A National Olympic Committee (NOC) is a national constit ...

Summary

Games

Beach Games

;Notes

Youth Games

Sports

The following table was compiled based on information extracted from a variety of sources. It should be considered as incomplete. Disciplines from the same sport are grouped under the same color: Aquatics –

Cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from t ...

– Football –

Gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, s ...

–

Underwater sports Underwater sports is a group of competitive sports using one or a combination of the following underwater diving techniques - breath-hold, snorkelling or scuba, usually including the use of equipment such as diving masks and fins. These sport ...

–

Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

All-time medal count

The total medal count for all the Games until 2022 is tabulated below. This table is sorted by the number of

gold medals A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...

won by each country. The number of silver medals is taken into consideration next, and then the number of bronze medals.

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

, El Salvador, Guatemala and

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

started competing since the

2013 Bolivarian Games The 2013 Bolivarian Games (Spanish: ''Juegos Bolivarianos''), officially the XVII Bolivarian Games, was a major international multi-sport event that was held from November 16–30, 2013, in Trujillo, Peru, with some events held in Lima and Chicla ...

. As of 2022:

All time records

* Colombia holds the record for the highest number of gold medals won for a country in a single edition, obtaining 213 gold medals at the

2017 Bolivarian Games The 2017 Bolivarian Games, officially the XVIII Bolivarian Games, was an international multi-sport event that was held from 11–25 November 2017, in Santa Marta, Colombia. Host city selection Ciudad Bolivar (Venezuela) and Santa Marta (Colom ...

in Santa Marta as the host nation. * Colombia holds the record for the biggest lead of gold medals to second place, obtaining a margin of 119 gold medals over

in Santa Marta 2017. * Colombia holds the record for the biggest lead of total medals to second place, 168 medals more than

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

. *

holds the record for the highest number of total medals obtained in a single edition with 476 in the

2009 Bolivarian Games The XVI Bolivarian Games (Spanish: ''Juegos Bolivarianos'') were a multi-sport event held in 2009 in Sucre, Bolivia. The competitions in Sucre took place from 15–26 November. A number of Bolivian cities hosted some of the sporting events, inclu ...

in Sucre.

All-time medal count (Beach Games)

As 2016

References

External links

*
2001 Bolivarian Games results

2005 Bolivarian Games official website

2009 Bolivarian Games official website
{{PASO Multi-sport events in South America