Mexico City, host of the Pan American Games in 1955 (II)

Athletes from 22 countries participated at the Second Pan American Games, held in Mexico City from March 12 to 26, 1955, an event in which Cuba dropped to ninth place in the medal standings.

Only one title was won by the Cuban delegation in the Mexican capital, with 10 silver medals and eight bronze medals, while the United States (88-58-38) dominated by nations.

Argentina (27-33-20) and the hosts (17-11-30) closed the leading trio in the continental event, which was attended by 2,583 athletes in 20 sports, with an opening ceremony attended by 100,000 spectators.

Among the events with great repercussions was the absence in baseball, due to economic problems, of a powerhouse like Cuba, a situation that the Dominican Republic took advantage of to win the crown.

In other relevant performances, two world records were set in athletics, one of them by the famous Brazilian triple jump runner Adhemar Ferreira da Silva, who went 16.56 meters.

American Louis Jones also wrote his name in the golden pages of the event with his world record of 45.4 seconds in the 400 meters.

The powerful U.S. delegation swept in swimming, weightlifting, shooting, gymnastics, fencing, basketball (f), volleyball (m) and synchronized swimming, the latter two of which were newly included.

Mexico reigned in tennis, equestrian and modern pentathlon, while local diver Joaquín Capilla was once again the master in this aquatic discipline.

The representatives of Bahamas, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Paraguay and Ecuador had to accept the fact that they could not win a medal.

Four years later, the city of Chicago, in North America, would host the Pan American Games, already considered the most important sporting event after the Olympic Games.