Pan American Games Research Articles

Weapons of mass destruction preparedness and response for the XIV pan-american games, santo domingo 2003

Weapons of mass destruction preparedness and response for the XIV pan-american games, santo domingo 2003

Foreign Policy at the Fringe

BEYOND THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP with the United States, the are essentially marginal to Canada's interests, however one defines the latter, and they are likely to remain so in the foreseeable future. In such a context, the challenge for the government is to design a policy that is consistent over time, that can have significant impact in the few areas that are more relevant to the country's interests, that is likely to command sufficient resources for that purpose and that can be sustained over time. No easy task.This article first examines the structural basis of Canada's relationship with the rest of the Americas--or more precisely, the lack thereof--and challenges three of the key assumptions of the policy adopted since 1989. A second section examines a limited number of files whose relevance for Canada is higher--Mexico and Brazil--and another where a focused policy could have significant positive impacts.THE AMERICAS OF OUR DREAMSSince 1989, Canadian policy toward the has been remarkably proactive. The story of Canada's rediscovery of the Americas(1) has been portrayed as a decisive march toward the country's full integration in hemispheric affairs. The landmarks of Canada's deepening option for the hemisphere are numerous and impressive: the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement in 1988; full membership in the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1990; the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994; the Miami Summit, also in 1994, where Canada forcefully endorsed the project of a Free Trade Area of the (FTAA); free trade with Chile in 1997; the Quebec Summit in 2001; and then a bilateral trade agreement with Costa Rica (2002) and trade negotiations with the rest of Central America. Between these landmarks, the government and its diplomats have shown remarkable commitment to, and certainly made their mark on, hemispheric affairs, playing a key role in setting up the negotiation and support infrastructure for the FTAA, in addition to chairing the first stage of the negotiation. Similarly, Canada's commitment to a suddenly proactive OAS translated into a number of initiatives, from the establishment of a unit for the promotion of democracy, in the general secretariat of the OAS, to the inclusion of a democracy clause in the Quebec Summit declaration and the adoption in Lima, in 2001, of an Inter-American Democratic Charter.On the ground, an activist diplomacy was translating these general principles into continuing support for democratic consolidation and peace processes in Guatemala, Colombia and perhaps, more spectacularly, in Peru.(2) Finally, the significant capabilities of Canada's diplomatic apparatus, however stretched, have been put to intensive use in the hosting of an extraordinary number of major hemispheric events: from the Business Forum in Toronto (1998), the Pan-American Games in Winnipeg (1999), the Ninth Conference of the Spouses of Heads of State and Government of the Americas (1999), to the OAS General Assembly in Windsor (2000) and the Quebec Summit of the (2001).Three broad assumptions have driven those activities: 1) the hemisphere is now the only possible regional home for Canada in the vast world, what happens there is important from the standpoint of Canada's economic, political and security interests, and Canada has the capacity to become a significant player in the region; 2) the hemisphere is integrating--economically, politically and as a security complex--as a rules-based regional trade regime is emerging and as its multilateral institutional machinery gains relevance; and 3) the region is getting better, both economically and politically, its countries are progressively joining the global community of democracies and, albeit slowly, struggling out of economic under-development.(3)While these assumptions might have been relatively compelling in 1989 and especially in 1994 after the Miami Summit--but before Mexico's Peso Crisis--they now simply look wrong--completely wrong--which suggests that the policy they underlie might require substantial change. …

COMPARISON OF ON-HORSE MECHANICAL VARIABLES BETWEEN TWO HANDSPRING CATEGORY VAULTS PERFORMED BY ELITE GYMNASTS

The on-horse mechanical variables have important “causal influence” on the subsequent phases and overall performance of a vault. PURPOSE: To identify the on-horse mechanical variables that are crucial in achieving successful transition from the basic handspring (HS) vault to a more advanced handspring and salto forward tucked (HSS) vault. METHODS: The subjects were 40 male gymnasts performing the HS vault at the 1987 Pan American Games and 51 male gymnasts performing the HSS vault at the 1988 Olympic Games. The vaults were filmed using a 16-mm camera operating at 100 Hz. Approximately 50 frames were digitized for each vault. A theoretical model was developed to identify the mechanical variables that determine the linear and angular motions of the vaults. RESULTS: The results of t tests to compare the means of the mechanical variables indicated that the HSS vault, compared to the HS vault, had significantly (P < .005): (1) greater horizontal and vertical velocities, greater normalized somersaulting angular momentum, and lower body center of mass (CM) at touchdown on the horse; (2) greater average horizontal and vertical forces exerted, shorter time of hand contact, and greater horizontal and vertical impulses exerted while on the horse; (3) greater horizontal and vertical displacements of body CM, greater change in the horizontal and vertical velocities, and smaller change in the normalized angular momentum while on the horse; and (4) greater vertical velocity and normalized somersaulting angular momentum at take-off from the horse. CONCLUSION: Successful transition from the basic HS vault to the HSS vault is most likely when the focus is on achieving: (1) large horizontal and vertical velocities, large somersaulting angular momentum, and low body CM at touchdown on the horse by sprinting the approach and reaching toward the far-end of the horse with the hands (flexion of the humerus) as quickly as possible upon take-off from the board; (2) large change in the horizontal and vertical velocities on the horse by blocking and pushing off the horse “forcefully and rapidly” with the muscles of the shoulder girdle and the upper extremity; and, consequently, (3) large vertical velocity and large somersaulting angular momentum at take-off from the horse, which together ensure “great” maximum height, long duration of time, and great control for somersaulting rotation in post-flight that the judges seek in awarding bonus points.

PRE-FLIGHT MECHANICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TWO HANDSPRING CATEGORY VALUTS PERFORMED BY ELITE GYMNASTS

The handspring (HS) vault forms the basis for mastering the more advanced handspring and salto forward tucked (HSS) vault, which in turn provides the basis for learning the handspring and double salto forward tucked (Roche) vault with greater ease and safety. The Roche is one of the most advanced and high-risk vaults seen in major competitions today. Pre-flight mechanical variables have important “causal influence” on the subsequent phases and overall performance of the vault. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the pre-flight mechanical variables that are crucial in achieving successful transition from the HS vault to the HSS vault. The subjects were 40 male gymnasts performing the HS vault at the 1987 Pan American Games and 51 male gymnasts performing the HSS vault at the 1988 Olympic Games. The vaults were filmed using a 16-mm camera operating at 100 Hz. Approximately 50 frames were digitized for each vault. A theoretical model was developed to identify the mechanical variables that determine the linear and angular motions of the vaults. The results of t test applied to the data indicated that the HSS vault, compared to the HS vault, had significantly (P < .005): (1) greater horizontal velocity and higher body center of mass (CM) at touchdown (TD) on the board; (2) greater horizontal displacement of body CM and smaller change of the vertical velocity while on the board; (3) greater horizontal velocity, greater normalized angular momentum, and higher body CM at take-off (TO) from the board; (4) smaller horizontal and vertical displacements of body CM, shorter time, and greater angular speed of pre-flight; and (5) greater vertical velocity and lower body CM at TD on the horse. In conclusion, successful transition from the HS vault to the HSS vault is likely when the focus is on achieving: (1) large horizontal velocity at TD on the board by sprinting the approach and departing from it with large horizontal velocity and normalized angular momentum; (2) small horizontal and vertical distances traveled by CM, short time, and rapid body rotation in pre-flight by reaching toward the far-end of the horse with the hands (flexion of the humerus) as quickly as possible upon TO from the board; and, consequently, (3) large vertical velocity and low body CM at TD on the horse to effect successful on-horse and post-flight performance.

A Alca ou os Jogos Pan-Americanos da Competitividade Econômica

The Americas Free Commerce Area (ALCA) is an ongoing subject both in Diplomacy and the Media and Brazilian Companies are also engaged in an ongoing discussion about it, both as part of their priorities and as the definition of their strategies. The expression "strategic planning" is a little worn out, but by any other name, companies need to work ALCA into their strategy planning and define their position towards it. The media has spread the notion that ALCA is a subject for 2005, but that's not quite so. By 2005 negotiations should be over and an agreement will be put in place by January 1 st 2006 with free commerce flow, which will mean bigger competition. Therefore, what we will be seeing can be compared to the sports competition known as the Pan-American games involving all three Americas. Anyone knows that before a competition, one has to prepare for it, and this will be a very important contest since once begun, it will be permanent, with daily disputes involving commercial transactions. So, it demands adequate training. But that's not all that's happening. In general, we can't perceive companies, whether individually or as a class entity group, worrying about ALCA and the struggle it will yield. This situation reminds us of Stephen Covey's basic lesson that people and organizations cease to be effective because they no longer care for important things which are not urgent, and deal daily with urgent sometimes unimportant matters (Covey, 1995). The rub is at some point the important things which were not urgent become so. If there's no preparedness crisis will pop up and we will only see what's in front of us when it's too late. Covey's affirmation is a matter of common sense. The problem is that common sense is not as common as most people think. Frequently, the notion that there's no urgency is a mistaken one. Some people will even go as far as considering the subject unimportant. In the following text we will stress that ALCA is not only important, but also urgent and deserves priority treatment which we will outline. That's true not only for the companies, it's also an opportunity to reexamine their economic competitiveness and review their competitive strategy in a global economy.

Gender verification in the Olympics.

FOR NEARLY 15 YEARS, WE HAVE ADVOCATED ABOLItion of laboratory-based, on-site testing for gender verification in sports competition. The ostensible goal of gender verification is to ensure that female athletes do not unwittingly compete against men. Given that men presumably would have an unfair competitive advantage on the basis of speed or muscle mass, such a policy superficially seems endorsable on the grounds of fairness. In reality, gender verification tests are difficult, expensive, and potentially inaccurate. Furthermore, these tests fail to exclude all potential impostors (eg, some 46,XX males), are discriminatory against women with disorders of sexual development, and may have shattering consequences for athletes who “fail” a test. During the 1996 International Olympic Committee (IOC) World Conference on Women and Health, the IOC passed a resolution “to discontinue the current process of gender verification during the Olympic Games.” In January 1999 the IOC Athletes’ Commission recommended to the IOC Executive Board that gender verification testing be discontinued, and the decision was ratified in June 1999 by the 109th IOC session in Seoul, South Korea. The medical community should applaud the decision of the IOC to abolish onsite gender verification preceding athletic events, effective with the current Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The issue of gender verification arose in the early 1960s when rumors circulated that men secretly posing as women were competing against female athletes. At the 1966 European Track and Field Championships in Budapest, Hungary, and at the 1967 Pan American games in Winnipeg, Manitoba, physical inspection was made of disrobed female athletes. At the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, gynecologic examinations were performed. Complaints and resentment about this embarrassing approach led the IOC to search for an alternative gender verification method at its competitions. The IOC decided to require all female athletes to undergo sex chromatin analysis (X chromatin or Barr body analysis). Laboratory-based gender verification became compulsory in 1968 at the Mexico City Summer Olympics, after it was introduced on a small scale at the European Cup in Track and Field Athletics in Kiev, Ukraine (1967) and the Grenoble Winter Olympics (1968) in France. Gender verification has long been criticized by geneticists, endocrinologists, and others in the medical community. One major problem was unfairly excluding women who had a birth defect involving gonads and external genitalia (ie, male pseudohermaphroditism). Male pseudohermaphroditism is defined as genetic males (Y chromosome) whose external genitalia fail to develop—the genitalia may be ambiguous or resemble female genitalia. Many different forms of male pseudohermaphroditism exist. A second problem is that only women, not men, were stigmatized by gender verification testing. Systematic follow-up was rarely available for female athletes “failing” the test, which often was performed under very public circumstances. Follow-up was crucial because the problem was not male impostors, but rather confusion caused by misunderstanding of male pseudohermaphroditism. Noteworthy was the courageous contribution of the Spanish hurdler Maria Martinez Patino in documenting abuse by sports authorities. Patino had complete androgen insensitivity, and like most male pseudohermaphrodites she was raised as female. If athletic, these individuals naturally compete as women. Few if any plausible athletic advantages exist, especially given that gonadal extirpation usually has occurred by adulthood; however, abnormalities in external genitalia and gonads understandably create confusion.

FASTER, HIGHER, STRONGER

You can't simply take a pill or an injection and become a world-class athlete—the innate physical talent, the inner drive for excellence, and years of training and competing must first be there. But as biochemistry has become increasingly better understood and sports science has evolved, athletes now can optimize their training to overcome areas of weakness and to maximize performance—sometimes illegally. This ability has become especially important as the separation between champions and runners up has diminished to hundredths of a second, a fraction of a centimeter, or a rail-thin margin in scoring. This evolution of sports also has led to an epidemic-sized problem of athletes pushing the envelope on performance enhancement. The recently completed Pan American Games held in Winnipeg provided the latest setting for news headlines of drug scandals in the world of sports. Last year, the doping headlines came from the Tour de France, the world swimming championships, and even from ...

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction in elite rowers.

Cross-sectional, descriptive study. To examine the occurrence of sacroiliac joint dysfunction (SIJD) in a group of elite rowers. Sacroiliac joint dysfunction is a common problem for elite athletes, but is largely unstudied in the medical literature. The United States Senior National Rowing Teams at the Pan American Games and the World Rowing Championships in 1995 were tested for SIJD through the standing flexion test followed by palpatory examination of anatomic landmarks. Sacroiliac joint dysfunction occurred in 54.1% of team members. Sacroiliac joint dysfunction was prevalent in both sweep rowers (66%) and scullers (34%). Prevalence of SIJD did not differ among the specific types of SIJD, the side of involvement, or for the handedness of sweep rowing. Sacroiliac joint dysfunction is an important orthopaedic problem in rowers. This information may be useful for clinicians who treat rowers and elite athletes.

SmithKline Beecham's Atlanta Lab Gears Up For Olympic Drug Testing

When toxicologist Barry Sample oversaw drug testing at the Pan-American Games in Indianapolis in 1987, he averaged four or five hours of sleep per night. This year, he's in charge of the drug testing labs for the Olympic Games in Atlanta and can't count on even that much rest once the competition begins July 19. Sample is director of the forensic toxicology lab at SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories (SBCL) in Tucker, Ga., which has been chosen by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to carry out drug testing for this summer's games. Each day, urine samples from every medal winner and other athletes chosen at random will be brought to the suburban Atlanta lab to undergo analysis for a wide range of substances banned by IOC. The testing lab must turn the samples around in less than 48 hours. All the samples will be tested for stimulants, narcotics, anabolic substances, masking agents, Sample says. We'll be ...

Sport in Cuba: the diamond in the rough

No aspect of Cuban life more clearly epitomizes their government's emphasis on image-building and individual participation than the system of physical culture and competitive athletics. Indeed the Cuban record in international athletics is the most universally recognized success of the communist revolution, as indicated by the Cuban arrival in the 1972 Olympics and the 1991 Pan-American Games, when beat the United States in the gold medal tally, dominating boxing, baseball, and winning the marathon. The fruits of the Cuban sports system were again in evidence at the Barcelona Olympics of 1992, despite the severe deprivation caused by the collapse of the island's socialist allies. In spite of the obvious success and political importance of sport in Cuba, very little has been written on the subject. in Cuba closes this gap. In the first major study on the Cuban system of sports and physical culture, Paula J. Pettvino and Geralyn Pye analyze how sports was given such a high priority in Cuba, how the country became a world power by the mid-1970s, and the impact of sports on Cuban society. Moving from the early days when the government's approach to sports was loosely defined, through the construction of a complex system of physical culture, to the current years of uncertainty, Sport in utilizes both archival sources and personal interviews. It will be of interest to Latin Americanists and students of sports.

Investigation of the 1987 Indianapolis Airport Ramada Inn Incident

On October 20, 1987, a military reserve aircraft lost power during a transcontinental flight and attempted an emergency landing at The Indianapolis International Airport. The pilot ejected and the disabled and pilotless aircraft struck a bank building. It then skidded across the street and entered the lobby of The Airport Ramada Inn where it exploded. This incident was unusual in that the fatal injuries occurred in individuals on the ground and not in the occupant of the aircraft. Seven people were killed in the lobby area and two were trapped in a laundry where they died of smoke inhalation. A tenth person died of burns ten days later. Minor injuries were reported among four hotel guests, two firefighters and the Air Force pilot. A multiagency mass disaster-plan had been formulated and rehearsed in preparation for the Panamerican Games, which had been held in Indianapolis in August 1987. A number of volunteers arrived before a security perimeter was established. They began an undocumented removal of the bodies from the scene and were about to remove valuables for "safekeeping" when stopped by coroners' office personnel. Fatalities resulted from smoke inhalation, burns or a combination. Bodies were identified by a combination of dental records, personal effects and visual means within 24 hours. The problems encountered in managing this disaster scene will also be compared with previously reported incidents.

International cooperation in analytical chemistry: experience of antidoping control at the XI Pan American Games

We describe the experience of the international cooperation carried out for antidoping control at the XI Pan American Games. A temporary accreditation was granted by the International Olympic Committee to the accredited laboratory of Barcelona (Spain) to set up a Doping Control Laboratory in Havana. Two other laboratories from Mexico and Cuba contributed personnel, materials, and instrumentation. The main issues associated with the preparation and organization of the project are described. During 16 days, 741 urine samples were tested for stimulants, narcotics, anabolic steroids, beta-blockers, diuretics, cannabinoids, local anesthetics, and human chorionic gonadotropin by gas-liquid chromatography, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, and immunoassay techniques. Analytical methodologies, quality-control strategies, and the main results are reported.

Wind Forecasting for Yacht Racing at the 1991 Pan American Games

The U.S. Sailing Team competed successfully at the 1991 Pan American Games despite having no previous experience with the sailing conditions off Havana, Cuba. One of the key factors in the team's success was meteorological support in the form of wind climate analysis; application of sea breeze forecasting typical of the south Florida area, modified by tropical weather systems; and effective preregatta briefing.

Customer network management: a service provider's view

Experience in providing network management for the 1986 Pan American (Pan Am) Games in Indianapolis USA are described. The situation called for an integrated solution that could manage the 5000 voice, data, and video circuits residing within several different networks providing communications for 6500 data terminals and 143 computers spanning 40 locations. The scope of network management is examined, separating it into two parts: management of the specific local exchange carrier services and integrating that with the management of all other products and services. The driving forces behind the need for customer network control are discussed. A two-stage approach to achieving that control is presented. >

Techniques Used by Elite Women Gymnasts Performing the Handspring Vault at the 1987 Pan American Games

The purposes of this study were (a) to determine the mechanical factors associated with successful performance of women’s handspring vault and (b) to contrast the findings to those of men to gain insight for improvement of performance. The subjects were 24 female gymnasts in the 1987 Pan American Games. Significant correlations indicated that the following were important determinants for successful results: (a) large horizontal velocity (VH) and distance of hurdle; (b) large vertical velocity (Vv) at touchdown (TD) on board, a large change of Vv on board, and a short time of board contact; (c) large VH and Vv at takeoff (TO) from board; (d) short time of horse contact; (e) large VH and Vv at TO from horse; (f) high body CG at TO from horse; and (g) great distance and height and a long time of postflight. Comparisons revealed that women had significantly smaller VH and Vv at TD on horse and departed from it with significantly smaller VH and Vv than men. This resulted in significantly less height and distance as well as a shorter time of postflight for women even after adjusting for horse height and subject physique.

The psychodynamics of a work stoppage at the Tenth Pan American Games

A study of the various stressors faced by interns serving as security assistants at the Tenth Pan American Games and the coping mechanisms they utilized was undertaken during the months of July and August 1987. This study revealed that group development can be altered and maladaptive behavior can result among students experiencing high degrees of stress, frustration, and feelings of helplessness, who are subject to a leadership void. The data strongly support the need for planners of similar large-scale internship programs to consider group processes, organizational factors, and interpersonal relations if organizational goals are to be achieved, maladaptive coping mechanisms are to be avoided, and student stress is to be lessened.

Pharmaceutical services at the Tenth Pan American Games

The pharmaceutical services provided by volunteers, including more than 100 pharmacists, at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis, Indiana, are described. Pharmacists at a local hospital were given responsibility for doping control and operation of the medical clinic pharmacy at the games. Barracks at a U.S. Army facility within the games' boundaries were converted into the clinic; an area on the second floor was equipped as the pharmacy. The pharmacy secured the necessary licensure and obtained drug products and supplies. Volunteer pharmacists were recruited and instructed about responsibilities, procedures, and security. The formulary was based on the 1983 Pan American Games formulary, the 1988 Olympic Games formulary, and requests from the Pan American Sports Organization. In the 26 days that the pharmacy was open, 968 prescriptions were filled. The drugs most commonly prescribed were ibuprofen, terfenadine, acetaminophen, penicillin V potassium, clotrimazole cream, and naproxen. A doping control center located at each competition venue was staffed by a physician, pharmacists, nurses, medical technologists, and nonmedical personnel. After an event, selected athletes were escorted to a doping control center, where a medical history and urine sample were obtained. The urine was tested for pH and specific gravity, and the coded specimen bottles were sealed for transport to the laboratory. Each step was documented on special forms. A total of 981 athletes were tested; six athletes had positive test results. The 1987 Pan American Games provided a unique opportunity for pharmacists to assist in providing medical services at a large athletic event and to become involved in doping control.

Physique Characteristics of Pan American Games Lightweight Rowers

The emergence of lightweight rowing as an international sport has made the optimization of physique within the weight restrictions a matter of primary importance in selection and training of the participants. The occasion of the Xth Pan American Games provided opportunity to obtain comprehensive anthropometric data on 20 male and 13 female lightweight rower finalists including most of the medal winners. Anthropometric characteristics, somatotype, and proportionality profiles showed the male rowers to be similar in most aspects to a student control sample, with the exception of short sitting height and large transverse chest breadth. The females, on the other hand, appeared to be very different from the control sample, having a number of characteristics similar to those of Olympic rowers. The female lightweight rowers also uniquely demonstrated two distinct physique prototypes.

Techniques Used by Elite Male Gymnasts Performing a Handspring Vault at the 1987 Pan American Games

The purpose of this study was to determine mechanical factors, through development of the deterministic model, that govern successful performance of the handspring vault. The subjects were 40 elite male gymnasts participating in the 1987 Pan American Games. A motion-picture camera placed with its optical axis at right angles to the runway was used to record the subjects’ performances. Significant correlations indicated that the following were important determinants for success: (a) large horizontal velocity and angular momentum at takeoff from board, (b) shorter time of preflight and smaller relative height of takeoff in preflight, (c) large horizontal breaking force and large vertical force exerted as well as a large loss of angular momentum during horse contact, and (d) large vertical velocity of takeoff from horse. Significant correlation of “on-horse” factors with the judges’ scores indicated that the more the gymnast focused on horse contact and the more vertical the direction of his effort at takeoff, the better the final result. A significant negative correlation revealed that the less the height of CG at touchdown on mat, the more points awarded by judges. This relationship was almost entirely a consequence of the landing angle.

Security Volunteers at the Tenth Pan American Games: The Coproduction of an Urban Enterprise

Abstract In 1987 the city of Indianapolis, Indiana hosted the Tenth Pan American Games. To avoid financial debts the city undertook a coproduction effort that required the enlistment of over 35,000 volunteers. The following article reports the findings of an eleven-month research effort on one aspect of this volunteer program, the management of the security assistant program, which was staffed by university and college student interns and non-intern volunteers. The purpose of this research project was to extend our knowledge of the management of a coproduction effort of this type, and to make a preliminary assessment of the suitability of student security volunteers in international sporting events. The findings suggest that such coproduction enterprises are a viable method to save tax dollars and that a quality service can be provided. However, it was also discovered that careful attention to management style and techniques is essential to the success of such a program.