German sailors downplay Rio water health risk but worry about debris and wind

Record ID: 95249

  • Title: German sailors downplay Rio water health risk but worry about debris and wind
  • Date: 13th July 2016
  • Summary: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (JULY 12, 2016) (REUTERS) GERMAN OLYMPIC SAILOR, PHILIPP BUHL, TRAINING ON GUANABARA BAY VARIOUS OF BUHL TACKING GERMAN FLAG AND AUDI LOGO ON SAIL / CLOSE-UP OF BUHL SPEAKING CLOSE-UP OF COMPASS (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN OLYMPIC SAILOR, PHILIPP BUHL, SAYING: "The Olympic sailing area here in Rio is certainly one of the most difficult area that I've
  • Embargoed: 28th July 2016 20:52
  • Keywords: German Sailing team Rio 2016 Olympics Rio de Janeiro Guanabara Bay Brazil
  • Location: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
  • City: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: Olympics,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA0014QITF7R
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: German Olympic sailors, one of whom was infected by flesh-eating bacteria that may have come from Rio de Janeiro's sewage-tainted Guanabara Bay, said on Tuesday (July 12) that they're now more worried about shifty winds, wild currents and floating trash affecting their racing than health risks from the water.
    With three weeks to go until the start of racing at the Rio Olympics, three of the highly ranked German sailing team's top medal prospects told Reuters that plastic bags and bottles, floating logs, dead dogs and other flotsam will make what is already one of the most challenging Olympic sailing venues even harder.
    The presence of disease causing pathogens at Rio water-sports venues, the focus of much pre-Olympic concern, represent less risk to their performance on the "playground," as the Germans call the race course, than other factors, the sailors said.
    "For us the water quality here in Rio is, in the meantime, not a health risk in itself, because we mostly had problems in the last few years that come up later after we were back," said Erik Heil, skipper of Germany's Olympic entry into the 49er two-man skiff class.
    Nearly a year ago, after an Olympic test regatta in Rio, Heil was treated in Germany for an antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus infection that chewed small craters into his leg. He said they still don't know the reason, and that it could have been the water, it could have been a mosquito, or it could have been something else.
    Instead, Heil said it's the plastic bags and other debris that could snag boats that are the biggest challenge.
    "Here for us it is more about tie that into our tactical planning and being aware of it," he explained. "We have to be aware of the plastic bags and all the other things that are floating around. In the long term we have no severe consequences to expect. So we are seeing that as a challenge, another factor to build into our strategy, and that is how we are going to tackle the race."
    The sailing courses inside Guanabara Bay face daily surging tidal currents that push large volumes of water, sewage and debris out of the Bay's narrow mouth, only to be replaced later by cleaner sea-water flushing in from the Atlantic ocean.
    Debris tends to concentrate along the lines of currents and entering or departing tides, said Heil's 49er crewmate Thomas Ploessel and Germany's one-man, single sail Laser-class entry Philipp Buhl. Taking advantage of the currents can mean putting your boat at risk of getting caught up on or damaged by floating junk, they said.
    Those currents are influenced by underwater rocks and mountains. Hills and buildings surrounding the bay change the often light winds and can unpredictably redirect gusts. Courses outside the bay face high waves.
    Outside on the outside lane where we have the open water, you also have the waves of course. They are very strong, there are always at least three types of wave pattern," Ploessel said as they practised in the bay with Sugar Loaf Mountain in the background on one side, and Corcovado with the Christ Statue on the other.
    "Through the waves from the wind and the waves from the swell, and then there is a strong back-wash from the steep cliffs of Sugar Loaf Mountain, so all in all Rio is a very challenging sailing area, whatever you are sailing, and you have to keep your eyes open."
    With all the other things to worry about, the health issues have become less important for athletes, his colleague Philipp Buhl said, although they are still there.
    "Absolute worst case is surely a scenario where they have to call off the race because of health issues, that people get infected from the water in the bay - which hasn't happened to me in the five times that I have been here, but unfortunately there have already been one or two cases that have shown that it can happen. And we don't wish that on anyone."
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