The III South American Games (now with a new title) were
originally supposed to be hosted by Guayaquil and Quito,
in Ecuador, but due to a lack of government support both
cities gave up hosting the Games. Chile took on the responsibility
and organized the competition from November 28 through
December 8, 1986, in its capital city of Santiago, and
the sub-host cities Concepción and Viña
Del Mar. The same ten countries
that had been present at the previous edition of the
Games in Rosario participated in the Santiago Games,
where 969 athletes competed for medals in 17 sports:
Archery, Artistic Gymnastics, Athletics, Boxing, Bowling,
Cycling, Fencing, Football, Judo, Rowing, Sailing, Shooting,
Taekwondo, Tennis, Underwater sports, Weightlifting
and Wrestling.
Argentina won 169 medals – 80
gold ones – once again conquering the position
at the top of the charts. Chile won more medals (176),
but stayed second because only 50 of those were gold.
Uruguay was third, with 17 gold medals.
The Football competition featured
the participation of athletes that would soon become
internationally renowned: the Argentinians Goycoechea
and Caniggia, vice-champions of the 1990 World Cup,
and the Brazilian Dunga, winner of the 1994 World Cup
and second place in 1998. Caniggia and Goycoechea were
luckier in Santiago: they were gold-medallists. Brazil
won the bronze.
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