1986 South American Games

The III South American Games (Spanish: Juegos Sudamericanos; Portuguese: Jogos Sul-Americanos) were a multi-sport event held in 1986 in Santiago, Chile, with some events in Concepción and Viña del Mar. The Games were organized by the South American Sports Organization (ODESUR) and were initially awarded to Brazil at its 1982 congress held in Rosario. However, four months later, Brazil declined the offer. Therefore, Guayaquil and Quito in Ecuador were chosen, but due to lack of government support the games were finally moved to Santiago, Chile.

An appraisal of the games and detailed medal lists were published elsewhere, emphasizing the results of the Argentinian teams. Torch lighter at the Estadio Nacional de Chile was athlete Omar Aguilar.

Suriname had the first appearance at the games resulting in a total of 11 teams participating.