While there has been a lack of quality and depth across many of the sports in Santiago, it was never more glaring than at the first day of athletics.
The Pan American region has for decades produced some of the world's greatest sprinters, including Usain Bolt.
Brazil's Izabela Rodrigues claimed the first gold of the athletics competition winning the women's discus while the women's long jump title went to Colombia's Natalia Linares.
Chile's Lucas Nervi delighted a small but supportive opening day home crowd, taking top spot on the podium in the men's discus.
"I feel happy, for the medal for my country, which is the most important thing, along with qualification," said Mesinas.
Persons:
Jamaica's Shelly, Ann Fraser, Pryce, Bernadett Szabo, Carl Lewis, Gail Devers, Don Quarrie, Ann Fraser Pryce, Felipe Bardi, Erik Barbosa, Dominican Republic's Jose Gonzalez, Usain, Noah Lyles, Brazil's Izabela Rodrigues, Colombia's Natalia Linares, Chile's Lucas Nervi, Peru's Luz Mery Rojas, Tatiana Weston Webb, Sanoa Dempfle, Olin, Peru's, Peru's Lucca Mesinas, Venezuela's Francisco, Mesinas, Weston Webb, Canada's Dylan, Chile's Pablo Nunez, Lee Kiefer, Canada's Grace Harvey, Daniela Fonseca, Jorge Campos, Brazil's Bruna Takahashi, Vitor Ishiy, Steve Keating, Miral
Organizations:
Athletics Centre, Rights, Athletics, Pan American Games, Pan, Games, Colombian Ronal Longa, Tuesday's, Pan Ams, U.S, Peru's Lucca, Paris, United States, Thomson
Locations:
Budapest, Hungary, Santiago, Shelly, Colombian, Dominican, Dominican Republic, Peru, United States, Brazil, Canada