Rio de Janeiro had in favour a compact bid plan, able to stage all of the competitions within city limits by capitalizing on its outstanding natural characteristics, which were conducive to building competition venues that were located close to each other and welcoming athletes in one Pan American Village. Rio de Janeiro got another boost from succeeding in preparing to host the 2002 South American Games, with competitions held in four different capital cities—Curitiba, Belém, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo—in as little as three months in advance. The Games were originally scheduled to be held in Medellin, Colombia, but intervening problems affecting that country forced the South American Sports Organization (ODESUR), to choose between canceling Games or moving them to Brazil, which took up the challenge to host and organize the event in record time.