| II Pan American Games | |
| Size: | 200 |
| Host: | Mexico City, Mexico |
| Nations: | 22 |
| Athletes: | 2,583 |
| Events: | 146 in 17 sports |
| Opening: | March 12 |
| Closing: | March 26 |
| Opened By: | President Adolfo Ruiz Cortines |
| Torch Label: | Cauldron lighter |
| Stadium: | Estadio Olímpico Universitario |
| Previous: | 1951 Buenos Aires |
The 1955 Pan American Games, officially known as II Pan American Games (Spanish; Castilian: II Juegos Panamericanos) and commonly known as Mexico 1955 (Spanish; Castilian: México 1955), opened on March 12, 1955, in the University Stadium (now Olympic Stadium) in Mexico City, Mexico, in front of a capacity crowd of 100,000 spectators.
A total of 2,583 athletes from 22 nations marched in review and formed ranks upon the infield.[1] The nations paraded into the stadium in Spanish alphabetical order: Argentina, Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, El Salvador, United States, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Netherlands Antilles, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Mexico.[2] [3] The hot sun, combined with the high altitude, caused two members of the U.S. team to collapse. Both quickly recovered.
On March 6, 1951, the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) selected Mexico City over Guatemala City to host the II Pan American Games. Seventeen of the eighteen countries participated in the vote, with El Salvador abstaining. Guatemala City received two votes, one from Guatemala and one from Mexico, and Mexico City received the remaining fifteen votes.[4] [5]