Fans Lose It at Pan Am Gymnastics Championships as Crumbling Equipment Sparks Major Concerns

If an athlete stumbles because of their own missteps, they train harder, come back stronger, and take it on the chin. But when the equipment fails — when a crumbling beam or an unstable bar robs them of a fair shot — the frustration runs far deeper. It’s not just about losing a medal. It’s about trust. That’s the mood boiling over at the 2025 Pan American Gymnastics Championships. Fans and athletes alike are up in arms after multiple reports of faulty equipment surfaced during the competition, with shaky apparatuses and questionable setups turning routines into potential safety hazards. Now, it’s the fans who are speaking out the loudest!

It’s almost a déjà vu situation, a callback to the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, where infrastructural issues were among the many criticisms. The organizers were questioned over issues like construction at various locations, vacant seats, and a curtailed route for the women’s 20km racewalk. There were dozens of empty boxes, crates, and pieces of wood near the stadium entrance that were not removed before the tournament. Yet again, 2025 brought a similar case.

Reddit username @freifraufisher posted on r/gymnastics about the new venue on 10th June and wrote, “Pan American Championships is being held in a building with a roof AND walls… and it’s orange and green. The equipment brand is apparently a Chinese brand I’ve never heard of and know nothing about. But the rings broke during training, so Pan American Champs is living up to its legacy.”

Even William Émard showed his concern for the safety of the athletes by posting a story of broken rings during practice on 10th June 2025. The Canadian gymnast could not hold back his sarcasm in his Instagram stories as he posted about the same. With a zoomed-in video of two rings completely broken in half, he posted, “Ask the boys, how is the new equipment in Panama? Got my answer.”

Émard represented Canada at the 2024 Olympic Games. At the 2021 World Championships, he ended eighth in the all-around final, which marked the best result for a Canadian male gymnast in World Championship history. However, will this time be the same? Will the rings be safe to use? This is what the fans are concerned about, as well, among other things.

Fans debate the new venue for the Pan American Games

After the username @freifraufischer decided to post a picture of the new venue for the 2025 Pan American Games in Panama, other Redditors chimed in. And the reasons for their frustrations were simple. Firstly, unlike the year in Chile, this time the venue is enclosed by a roof and is not an open-air area. Secondly, the ring or still rings, which are used in artistic gymnastics by males, were broken in half. That ring is crucial to keep the whole bodyweight of an athlete hanging and giving an anchor to the gymnast. The rings need to be durable and properly maintained, as well as the straps and anchors used to suspend them.

Even before the games began, pictures had started to come in, especially of the rings. One follower gave updates about the brand and said, “The brand is called Cannice. And ‘the rings broke during training’ means the two rings broke in half.” Another fan said, “At least it’s an upgrade to the year when it wasn’t even an enclosed building.” So, what is this upgrade they are talking about? Well, back in 2023, the Pan Am games were held in Chile’s National Stadium, but there were many safety hazards. From the lack of volunteers to construction going on very close to the venue, there were several problems.

As per the October 24th, 2023, issue of the AP News by Muricio Savarese, a Mexican fan was very disappointed seeing the state of the venue. A 56-year-old engineer, Luis Miguel Cruz, attended the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara and expressed his disappointment at the absence of proper facilities in the 2023 Pan American Games. “I didn’t know which entry to use here, and neither did the first volunteer I found,” Cruz told the AP. The news outlet also reported that the athlete’s village has encountered concerns as well.

This time, the criticisms had already started before the games could begin. One netizen said, “That design is very 1960s color-coded,” while another chimed in, “Regardless of where this meet is held, it always looks like a City Championships. I hope none of the gymnasts get hurt.”
Another follower wrote, “I don’t understand why they can’t hold it at a more top-tier venue. Is the Pan American Gymnastics Union that broke? I understand they’re trying to hold it in different countries every year, but why hold it in a country where they don’t even have decent infrastructure?”

The total budget for the 2023 Pan American and Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile, was $507 million, as per Inside the Games magazine. Meanwhile, in 2024, Team USA did not send a senior team to the Pan American Championships. They decided to send a junior team, observing the first time since 2017 that the American team had not sent a senior team.

Another follower made a hilarious remark stating, “I can hardly see the boundary lines on that white floor.” One fan said, “Ah, shucks…I was so looking forward to watching birds fly by before people vaulted (kiddin’). That was something else last year, smh.”

Thankfully, there were no reported mishaps or injuries while the games went on in the 2023 Pan American Championships. However, the concerns remain as to how 2025 will unfold.

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