Pan American Games 2011

The 16th Pan American Games wrapped up with closing ceremonies this past weekend in Guadalajara, Mexico. Over 6,000 athletes from 42 nations in the Western Hemisphere competed for gold, silver, and bronze medals in many of the same events that will be seen during the Olympic Games next summer in London. Athletes were also vying for Olympic qualifying berths in many of the events. The 2015 edition of the games will be held in Toronto. -- Lloyd Young (35 photos total)

Cuban Jose Alberto Sanchez (left) battle other runners in the men's 3000 meter steeplechase race. (Antonio Scorza/AFP/Getty Images)

Ariel Hsing of the United States serves during her women's singles quarter-final table tennis match. Hsing took home the bronze. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters) #

Cuban Yaritza Abel (top) celebrates after defeating Mexican Karina Acosta in the women's Judo 63 kilogram final fight. In all, Cuba won 58 gold medals, second to the United States' 92. (Raul Arboleda/AFP/Getty Images) #

Jose Alberto Vargas of Mexico competes in the men's trampoline qualification round at the Pan American Games. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters) #

Henry Linton Quesada of Costa Rica competes in the men's high jump final at Telmex Athletics Stadium in Guadalajara. Donald Thomas of the Bahamas won the event. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) #

Argentinean taekwon-do fighter Sebastian Crismanich (right) grapples with Venezuelan Carlos Vasquez in the under 80 kilogram final. Crismanich won the gold. (Rodrigo Buendia/AFP/Getty Images) #

Maurren Maggi of Brazil celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's long jump. (Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images) #

Mexico's Giovanni Lanaro makes an attempt at 5.60 meters (about 18 feet, 4 inches) during the men's pole vault final. Lanaro missed, taking the bronze medal. Lazaro Borges of Cuba took the gold and Jeremy Scott of the United States the silver. (Julie Jacobson/Associated Press) #

Mexico's Lorenzo Real tries to block a US shot during their semifinal match in Guadalajara. Mexico won the match before losing the gold-medal round to Puerto Rico. (Antonio Scorza/AFP/Getty Images) #

Paula Pequeno from Brazil spikes the ball during a women's volleyball match against Cuba at the Pan American Games. (Daniel Ochoa de Olza/Associated Press) #

Jorge Alexander Davis of Costa Rica redirects the ball during his team's loss to Uruguay during the men's soccer bronze medal match. Mexico won the gold. (Scott Heavey/Getty Images) #

Karel Aguilar and Serguey Torres (far right) of Cuba celebrate after winning the gold medal in the men's 1000-meters canoe race. (Mariana Bazo/Reuters) #

Chile's players celebrate at the end of the women's field hockey bronze medal game against Canada at the Pan American Games. (Jorge Saenz/Associated Press) #

Yack Martinez of the Dominican Republic takes a rebound off the head as Christiano Felicio of Brazil lunges for the ball during their men's preliminary round basketball game at the Pan American Games. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters) #

Daylet Valdes from Cuba competes in the women's 3-meter springboard diving preliminary. (Claudia Daut/Reuters) #

Christine McCrea, from the United States, riding Romantovich Take One helped win the gold at the equestrian team jump competition.(Daniel Ochoa de Olza/Associated Press) #

In an image using multiple exposures, Brandie Jean Jay of the United States competes in the Women's Artistic Gymnastics Vault Finals. Jay won the event. (Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images) #

Luz Clara Vazquez from Argentina wrestles with Dominican Republic's Vanessa Torres to win the bronze medal in the women's Greco-Roman 63 kilogram category. (Daniel Ochoa de Olza/Associated Press) #

Heather Rae Kampf of the United States and Adriana Munoz of Cuba lead the field in the women's 800-meter final. Munoz won the event. (Al Bello/Getty Images) #

Weston Kelsey (left) of the United States and Ruben Limardo of Venezuela compete during their men's individual epee final. Kelsey won the gold. (Mariana Bazo/Reuters) #

Elizabeth Sloan of the United States competes in the uneven bars during the artistic gymnastics team qualifications. The United States tean beat Canada to take home the top spot. (Dario Lopez-Mills/Associated Press) #

Frederick August Krueger IV of the United States goes airborne while competing in the water ski men's jump final. Krueger won the gold. (Dario Lopez-Mills/Associated Press) #

Ana Carrasco of Argentina competes during the ribbon final at the Pan American Games. Carrasco took the silver. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters) #

Cuban Lisset Hechevarria (left) and Brazilian Aline Ferreira wrestle during the final rounds of the women's Greco-Roman 72 Kg class. Hechevarria won the gold. (Chris Bouroncle/AFP/Getty Images) #

Cylists warm up at sunrise before their heats in the men's BMX cycling competition final. (Jose Miguel Gomez/Reuters) #

Yamileska Yantin of Puerto Rico dives for the ball during a beach volleyball game against the United States. (Al Bello/Getty Images) #

Mexican swimmers leave the pool after competing in the free routine final of the synchronised swimming event. Canada won the team gold. (Francois Xavier Marit/AFP/Getty Images)#

Solonei Silva of Brazil crosses the finish line of the men's marathon race to win the gold medal at the Pan American Games on the final day of competition Oct. 30. (Desmond Boylan/Reuters) #

Nestor Alejandro Araujo of Mexico (right) in action with Sergio Ezequiel Araujo during the men's football gold medal match between Argentina and Mexico on day 14 of the games. Mexico won the gold. (Scott Heavey/Getty Images) #

Chile's Thomas Richter (left) fights for the ball with Barbados' goalkeeper Aaron Forde during a men's field hockey match. Argentina defeated Canada for the gold. (Silvia Izquierdo/Associated Press) #

Argentina's quad skull team from left: Milka Krajev, Maria Abalo, Maria Best, and Maria Rohner jump into the water after winning the rowing gold medal. The Canadians took the silver. (Andy Clark/Reuters) #

Canada's silver medal-winning team for group apparatus watch Keegan Soehn of Canada on the podium with his gold medal for the trampoline final at the Pan American Games. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters) #

Luis Mansilla of Chile rides during the men's omnium on day 4 of the games. Juan Estaban Arango of Colombia won the gold. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) #

United States swimmer Sean Mahoney competes in the preliminaries of the men's 200 meter breaststroke event. Mahoney won the gold. (Francois Xavier Marit/AFP/Getty Images) #

Brazil's Maurine Goncalves (center) celebrates her goal with teammate Rosana Augusto, as Mexico's Sandra Mayor reacts during the women's soccer semi-final at the Pan American Games. Brazil went on to win the silver medal. (Alejandro Acosta/Reuters) #

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