The 1963 Pan American Games, officially known as the IV Pan American Games, was a continental multi-sport event held in São Paulo, Brazil, from April 20 to May 5, 1963. At the Games, 1,665 athletes selected from 22 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in events in 19 sports. Eighteen nations earned medals during the competition and eleven won at least one gold. Barbados, debuting at the Pan American Games, won its first medals (three bronze), while British Guiana won its first ever gold medal. Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Nicaragua and Paraguay did not send athletes to São Paulo, making it the Games with the lowest number of competitors in history.