| VIII Bolivarian Games | |
| Size: | 219px |
| Host City: | La Paz |
| Nations: | 6 |
| Events: | 16 sports |
| Opened By: | Hugo Banzer |
| Torch Lighter: | Julia Iriarte |
| Stadium: | Estadio Olímpico La Paz |
| Previous: | 1973 Panama City |
The VIII Bolivarian Games (Spanish: Juegos Bolivarianos) were a multi-sport event held between October 15–29, 1977, at the Estadio Olímpico La Paz in La Paz, Bolivia. The Games were organized by the Bolivarian Sports Organization (ODEBO).
The Games were officially opened by Bolivian president, General Hugo Banzer. Torch lighter was Athlete Julia Iriarte, who won five gold and three silver medals in the eight events at the 1947-48 Bolivarian Games.
The stadium in La Paz was one of the first in South America equipped with asynthetic track for the athletics running events. Because the stadium issituated 3,650 metres above sea level, and this about the first time that abig international sports event of that size took place at this altitude, therewas a substantial medical interest in its influence on both the performanceand the health of the athletes.
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. Gold medal winners from Ecuador were published by the Comité Olímpico Ecuatoriano.
Athletes from 6 countries were reported to participate:
The following 16 sports were explicitly mentioned:
The medal count for these Games is tabulated below. A slightly different number of medals was published elsewhere. 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.
| 1977 Bolivarian Games Medal Count | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | width=60 | Total |
| 1 | 79 | 71 | 51 | 201 | ||
| 2 | 36 | 36 | 22 | 94 | ||
| 3 | 26 | 34 | 35 | 95 | ||
| 4 | 19 | 17 | 39 | 75 | ||
| 5 | 15 | 20 | 36 | 71 | ||
| 6 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 22 | ||
| Total | 185 | 185 | 188 | 558 | ||
Colombia
Ecuador
