Lima, Peru • Preliminary competition in the Pan American Games kicked off Wednesday in what has been branded as the largest sporting event in Peru’s history.
Nearly 7,000 athletes from 41 countries will compete in the games, which formally get under way with the opening ceremony on Friday.
The U.S. team is favored to finish atop the medal standings in Lima, where sports such as bodybuilding, skateboarding and surfing will feature in the regional event for the first time.
A record 21 of the 61 sporting disciplines in Lima will serve as qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.