OLYMPICS-RIO/SAILBOATS Olympian chooses Rio sailing course as world favourite despite water worries

Record ID: 144023

  • Title: OLYMPICS-RIO/SAILBOATS Olympian chooses Rio sailing course as world favourite despite water worries
  • Date: 14th August 2015
  • Summary: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (AUGUST 14, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS SPEAKERS PREPARING FOR CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF SPEAKERS DURING CONFERENCE JOURNALIST FILMING CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL SAILING FEDERATION HEAD OF COMPETITIONS, ALISTAIR FOX, SAYING: "I think there is a lot of pressure on the governmen
  • Embargoed: 29th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Brazil
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAEGFPUPL5QV5QZP8D42FTDW8NB
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The mood among sailing professionals on the eve of the latest round of Olympic test events was one of optimism and pleasure to be competing on Rio's waters, which have caused a frenzy in recent weeks due to high levels of disease-causing bacteria and viruses having been detected.
    For International Sailing Federation Head of Competitions, Alistair Fox, the uproar has produced positive pressure on the authorities, who at the start of the year announced they would not meet the target to reduce the amount of waste being deposited in the bay by 80 percent, as was agreed as part of the city's Olympic bid.
    Fox said the ISAF was satisfied with the venue for the events this weekend, and with the ongoing efforts to clean the sailing route ahead of next year's Games.
    "I think there is a lot of pressure on the government, which is good to continue working to clean the bay. But I think so far we are happy with what we have seen right now in terms of the engagement and we will review where we are at later during this test event," said Fox at a conference by the Guanabara Bay on Friday (August 14).
    The Associated Press reported that 13 members of the 40-member U.S. team fell ill after the world junior rowing championships, a test event for the 2016 Games held in waters near to the bay.
    However, U.S. officials confirmed to Reuters that 15 members took ill but said that was not unusual in international events and it was too early to blame dirty water.
    A spokesperson for Rio2016, who asked not to be named, said "everything suggests" the diarrhoea was caused by familiar travel woes rather than dirty water.
    Aiming to break through the scaremongering, U.S. Olympic sailor David Hughes said on Friday that Rio is his favourite venue, given all its complexities.
    "I've got to say that this has quickly become one of my favourite places to sail on the planet. It is extremely tricky, there is current to take care of, wind to take care of. It is a bit of a moving target every day. What is wonderful about this venue is that you have the outside courses as well, you can get a mixture of really anything that sailboat racing demands, and that's swell to waves, lighter, heavier, and every course has a little of everything so it has been spectacular," said Hughes.
    French Olympian Jonathan Lobert also said he had a lot of experience sailing in Rio's waters and had never fallen ill.
    "I am really happy that the Olympic Games could show to the Brazilian people that the bay is starting to be very dirty, it would be nice if people realised that if they start to take care of the bay it could be a wonderful place as it was before. So far for racing it is OK and I hope that the authorities will keep on working, but what can I say I have trained here many times and never have I been sick, never have I had trouble on my skin so, so far, I do not feel scared about the racing," said Lobert.
    The first round of sailing test events took place in August last year. The second round will run for one week until August 22, with some 55 countries and 380 competing athletes.
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