Forecasts and evaluation of the 2011 Pan American Games

The current paper predicts the medal tally for the 2011 Pan American Games. The forecast procedure consists of analyzing success at the four latest editions of the Pan American Games at the country level. Potential explanatory variables for medal winning are GDP, population, geographical distance to the Games and home advantage. Our forecasts show that the US takes first place in the medal tally. We expect Mexico to take fourth place wining 37 gold medals. The final results as they were published after the Games prove us right in this respect. However, the forecasts are less precise than similar predictions for the Olympic Games.