Abstract:
This article, which is based on archival research as well as a review of the literature, discusses the “social legacy” strategy in the case of the Pan-American Games in Rio in 2007. It is evident that in this multi-sport megaevent olympianism was taken over by the neoliberal ideal of society, since the event attempted to foment a volunteer culture. The philosophy of olympianism, in promoting volunteer work, a modality that takes precarious employment to an extreme by avoiding any employment tie or the payment of a salary, should be understood as an instrument of class domination, since capital is appropriating part of the value created by the labor force.

Keywords: Pan-American Games-Rio 2007. Volunteerism. Olympianism. Neoliberalism.