# Athletics at the 1987 Pan American Games

The Athletics competition at the 1987 Pan American Games was held in Indianapolis, United States. The events were competed at the IU Indianapolis Track and Soccer Stadium.

## Medal summary
### Men's events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 metres (wind: -3.4 m/s) details | Lee McRae United States | 10.26 | Ray Stewart Jamaica | 10.27 | Juan Núñez Dominican Republic | 10.44 |
| 200 metres (wind: +1.3 m/s) details | Floyd Heard United States | 20.25 | Robson da Silva Brazil | 20.49 | Wallace Spearmon United States | 20.53 |
| 400 metres details | Raymond Pierre United States | 44.60 | Bert Cameron Jamaica | 44.72 | Roberto Hernández Cuba | 45.13 |
| 800 metres details | Johnny Gray United States | 1:46.79 | José Luíz Barbosa Brazil | 1:47.37 | Stanley Redwine United States | 1:47.73 |
| 1500 metres details | Joaquim Cruz Brazil | 3:47.34 | Jim Spivey United States | 3:47.46 | Steve Scott United States | 3:47.76 |
| 5000 metres details | Arturo Barrios Mexico | 13:31.40 | Adauto Domingues Brazil | 13:46.41 | Omar Aguilar Chile | 13:47.86 |
| 10,000 metres details | Bruce Bickford United States | 28:20.37 | Rolando Vera Ecuador | 28:22.56 | Paul McCloy Canada | 28:38.07 |
| Marathon details | Ivo Rodrígues Brazil | 2:20:13 | Ronald Lanzoni Costa Rica | 2:20:39 | Jorge González Puerto Rico | 2:21:14 |
| 110 metres hurdles (wind: +4.4 m/s) details | Andrew Parker Jamaica | 13.82w | Modesto Castillo Dominican Republic | 13.96w | Ernesto Torres Puerto Rico | 14.68w |
| 400 metres hurdles details | Winthrop Graham Jamaica | 48.49 | Kevin Young United States | 48.74 | Dave Patrick United States | 49.47 |
| 3000 metres steeplechase details | Adauto Domingues Brazil | 8:23.26 | Henry Marsh United States | 8:23.77 | Brian Abshire United States | 8:27.30 |
| 4 × 100 metres relay details | United States (USA) Lee McRae Lee McNeill Harvey Glance Carl Lewis | 38.41 | Cuba (CUB) Ricardo Chacón Leandro Peñalver Maximo Sergio Querol Andrés Simón | 38.86 | Jamaica (JAM) John Mair Andrew Smith Clive Wright Ray Stewart | 38.86 |
| 4 × 400 metres relay details | United States (USA) Mark Rowe Kevin Robinzine Raymond Pierre Roddie Haley | 2:59.54 | Cuba (CUB) Leandro Peñalver Agustín Pavó Lazaro Martínez Roberto Hernández | 2:59.72 | Jamaica (JAM) Winthrop Graham Mark Senior Berris Long Devon Morris | 3:03.57 |
| 20 kilometres walk details | Carlos Mercenario Mexico | 1:24:50 | Tim Lewis United States | 1:25:50 | Querubín Moreno Colombia | 1:27:08 |
| 50 kilometres walk details | Martín Bermúdez Mexico | 3:58:54 | Raúl González Mexico | 4:07:27 | Héctor Moreno Colombia | 4:18:48 |
| High jump details | Javier Sotomayor Cuba | 2.32 | Troy Kemp Bahamas | 2.28 | Jerome Carter United States | 2.28 |
| Pole vault details | Mike Tully United States | 5.71 | Rubén Camino Cuba | 5.50 | Scott Davis United States | 5.30 |
| Long jump details | Carl Lewis United States | 8.75 | Larry Myricks United States | 8.58w | Jaime Jefferson Cuba | 8.51 |
| Triple jump details | Mike Conley United States | 17.31w | Willie Banks United States | 16.87w | Frank Rutherford Bahamas | 16.68w |
| Shot put details | Gert Weil Chile | 20.21 | Gregg Tafralis United States | 20.17 | Paul Ruiz Cuba | 18.86 |
| Discus throw details | Luis Delís Cuba | 67.14 | Bradley Cooper Bahamas | 64.56 | Randy Heisler United States | 62.76 |
| Hammer throw details | Jud Logan United States | 77.24 | Andrés Charadía Argentina | 69.36 | Vicente Sánchez Cuba | 66.02 |
| Javelin throw details | Duncan Atwood United States | 78.68 | Ramón González Cuba | 75.58 | Juan de la Garza Mexico | 73.76 |
| Decathlon details | Mike Gonzales United States | 7649 | Keith Robinson United States | 7573 | Gordon Orlikow Canada | 7441 |

### Women's events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 metres (wind: -2.0 m/s) details | Gail Devers United States | 11.14 | Diane Williams United States | 11.25 | Pauline Davis Bahamas | 11.47 |
| 200 metres (wind: +2.2 m/s) details | Gwen Torrence United States | 22.52w | Randy Givens United States | 22.71w | Pauline Davis Bahamas | 22.99w |
| 400 metres details | Ana Fidelia Quirot Cuba | 50.27 | Jillian Richardson Canada | 50.35 | Denean Howard United States | 50.72 |
| 800 metres details | Ana Fidelia Quirot Cuba | 1:59.06 | Delisa Walton-Floyd United States | 2:00.54 | Soraya Telles Brazil | 2:00.56 |
| 1500 metres details | Linda Sheskey United States | 4:07.84 | Debbie Bowker Canada | 4:08.43 | Brit McRoberts Canada | 4:11.35 |
| 3000 metres details | Mary Knisely United States | 9:06.75 | Angela Chalmers Canada | 9:14.48 | Leslie Seymour United States | 9:19.26 |
| 10,000 metres details | Marty Cooksey United States | 33:00.00 | Nancy Tinari Canada | 33:02.41 | Patty Murray United States | 33:38.12 |
| Marathon details | María del Carmen Cárdenas Mexico | 2:52:06 | Debbie Warner United States | 2:54:49 | Maribel Durruty Cuba | 2:56:21 |
| 100 metres hurdles (wind: +1.9 m/s) details | LaVonna Martin United States | 12.81 | Stephanie Hightower United States | 12.82 | Aliuska López Cuba | 12.91 |
| 400 metres hurdles details | Judi Brown-King United States | 54.23 | Sandra Farmer Jamaica | 54.59 | LaTanya Sheffield United States | 56.15 |
| 4 × 100 metres relay details | United States (USA) Sheila Echols Gwen Torrence Michelle Finn-Burrell Gail Devers | 42.91 | Cuba (CUB) Eusebia Riquelme Aliuska López Susana Armenteros Liliana Allen | 44.16 | Brazil (BRA) Inês Ribeiro Cleide Amaral Claudilea dos Santos Sheila de Oliveira | 45.37 |
| 4 × 400 metres relay details | United States (USA) Rochelle Stevens Denean Howard Valerie Brisco-Hooks Diane Dixon | 3:23.35 | Canada (CAN) Charmaine Crooks Marita Payne Molly Killingbeck Jillian Richardson | 3:29.18 | Jamaica (JAM) Cathy Rattray Vivienne Spence Ilrey Oliver Sandie Richards | 3:29.50 |
| 10,000 metres walk details | María Colín Mexico | 47:17.15 | Ann Peel Canada | 47:17.97 | Maryanne Torrellas United States | 47:35.12 |
| High jump details | Coleen Sommer United States | 1.96 | Silvia Costa Acosta-Martínez Cuba | 1.92 | Mazel Thomas Jamaica | 1.88 |
| Long jump details | Jackie Joyner-Kersee United States | 7.45 | Jennifer Inniss United States | 6.85 | Eloína Echevarría Cuba | 6.42 |
| Shot put details | Ramona Pagel United States | 18.56 | María Elena Sarría Cuba | 18.12 | Belsis Laza Cuba | 18.06 |
| Discus throw details | Maritza Martén García Cuba | 65.58 | Hilda Ramos Cuba | 61.34 | Connie Price United States | 59.52 |
| Javelin throw details | Ivonne Leal Cuba | 63.70 | María Caridad Colón Cuba | 61.66 | Marieta Riera Venezuela | 57.10 |
| Heptathlon details | Cindy Greiner United States | 6184 | Connie Polman-Tuin Canada | 5862 | Jolanda Jones United States | 5823 |
* $^{nb}$ Some sources erroneously state the winner of the women's marathon as María del Carmen Díaz (later a Pan American Games winner on the track) instead of the correct winner, María del Carmen Cárdenas.

## Medal table

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | United States | 26 | 14 | 15 | 55 |
| 2 | Cuba | 6 | 9 | 8 | 23 |
| 3 | Mexico | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| 4 | Brazil | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| 5 | Jamaica | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
| 6 | Chile | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Canada | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| 8 | Bahamas | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 9 | Dominican Republic | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | Argentina | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Costa Rica | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Ecuador | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Colombia | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 13 | Puerto Rico | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 15 | Venezuela | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (15 entries) | Totals (15 entries) | 43 | 43 | 43 | 129 |

## Participating nations

* Antigua and Barbuda (11)
* Argentina (10)
* Aruba (1)
* Bahamas (9)
* Barbados (6)
* Belize (4)
* Bermuda (8)
* Bolivia (3)
* Brazil (28)
* British Virgin Islands (3)
* Canada (36)
* Cayman Islands (1)
* Chile (10)
* Colombia (13)
* Costa Rica (2)
* Cuba (38)
* Dominican Republic (4)
* Ecuador (12)
* Haiti (3)
* Grenada (2)
* Guatemala (5)
* Guyana (1)
* Honduras (3)
* Jamaica (17)
* Mexico (29)
* Panama (2)
* Paraguay (3)
* Peru (5)
* Puerto Rico (13)
* El Salvador (5)
* Suriname (2)
* Trinidad and Tobago (6)
* United States (84)
* Virgin Islands (11)
* Uruguay (6)
* Venezuela (9)