Just can’t wait for the Summer Olympics in London this August? If so, you might actually be in luck. As of today, there are eight days left in the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, a quadrennial Olympic-style competition among all the nations and territories in North America, Central America, South American and the Caribbean. And despite the fact that the Olympics get way more attention in the United States, the U.S. is absolutely dominating the Pan American Games right now.

As of the morning of October 22, the United States is well ahead of its closest competitors in the medal standings with 41 gold medals and 117 medals total. To put that into perspective, Brazil is currently second in the medal standings with 17 gold medals and 49 medals total. Current medal sports include basketball, racquetball, baseball, boxing, soccer, rifle, equestrian, swimming, BMX biking, tennis and 26 others.

The television coverage is decidedly less-high profile than the Olympics with ESPN’s Spanish-speaking offshoot, ESPN Deportes providing most of the American television coverage, though there is some online coverage from ESPN3.com.

Many of the athletes are also trying to use the Pan American Games to qualify for the Olympics this summer. But as with the Olympics, national glory is also a major motivating factor. And at least it has more going on than the NBA right now.