Sao Paulo, Brazil
April 20 – May 5, 1963
The IV Pan American Games opened before 40,000 spectators in the main stadium, with a view of mountains and the city’s skyline. More than 1,600 athletes from 22 countries participated in 19 sports. Judo was contested for the first time. Basketball, a popular sport in Brazil, drew large crowds. An estimated 30,000 people jammed into the 18,500-seat basketball arena to watch the game between the United States and Brazil.
This promotional poster for the Games shows athletes engaged in two different sports. Three athletes are set against a black background and the Roman numeral IV that takes up nearly half the total image. There are two track and field athletes, one running and the other throwing the discus. To the right of these figures, a basketball player is performing a lay-up shot. The "I" of the Roman numeral four adds the sense of the height of a basketball goal. Below the athletes the phrase "Pan American Games" is printed on three separate lines in Portugese, Spanish and English. The poster was designed by the artist Colábor and was printed by Belmari, Lit.