(Getty)
Thousands of athletes from over 40 countries are in Toronto for the 2015 Pan American Games, which officially begin with the Opening Ceremony on Friday, July 10.
Technically, there have already been qualifying events for equestrian, synchronized swimming and water polo, but no medals have been handed out, and the Opening Ceremony, which begins at 6:45 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPN or online at WatchESPN, marks the true start of the Games. You can find a full schedule of events at toronto2015.org.
Sports added to this year’s Games include golf, canoe slalom, women’s baseball and women’s rugby sevens, while men’s softball will make its first appearance since 2003. Of the 36 sports, 28 will appear at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Moreover, 19 disciplines will offer some type of potential qualification for the Summer Games.
So, while the Pan Am Games aren’t necessarily the biggest event around (don’t tell that to Toronto; these Games will be bigger than the 2012 Vancouver Olympics), there is going to be plenty of important, must-see action in Canada before the Closing Ceremony on July 26.
