The water quality at the Olympic sailing venue in Rio de Janeiro is a serious issue but will be resolved by the time the Games begin next year, Rio Organizing Committee president Carlos Nuzman said on Tuesday (September 1).
A scientific report carried out last month said the waters were so contaminated with high levels of bacteria and viruses from human sewage that athletes could become ill and unable to compete at the Games, the first to be held in South America.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has ordered testing for disease-causing viruses after taking advice from the World Health Organization, while the International Sailing Federation has said it will carry out its own tests for viruses in Guanabara Bay where the sailing events will be held.
Nuzman began his media conference in central London by saying that improving the quality of the water at the Olympic venues was a key priority.
“The health of the athletes is our No.1 point that we are working on and we work very close with the State government and we keep the researchers permanent to not have any claims (that the water is dirty) during the Games and I have no doubt we will do this sailing competition at Guanabara Bay,” he told reporters in London.
Last week, two international sailors, from South Korea and Germany, training in Rio contracted infections which they said came from the waters.
Asked if he could guarantee that no athlete would become ill because of the well-publicized contamination, Nuzman replied: “This is a very serious matter and we are doing the absolute best to protect peoples’ (athletes’) health.”
“The Marina da Gloria – this is No.1 – needs improvement and it will be totally clean at the end of the year with the construction of a new pipe structure that will keep rain water and sewage elsewhere.
“I assure that the health and the well being of the athletes is our first priority. There will be no compromise,” added Rio’s Olympic chief.
Other open air venues will stage triathlon, swimming, windsurfing, canoeing and rowing but Nuzman gave assurances that all events held so far at water venues were safe.
“We had already five test events in Rio waters – two for sailing, one for rowing, one for triathlon and the open waters marathon held at Copacabana beach. And the last weekend we had the canoeing in the lagoon too. All of them were considered a great success,” he said.
“The water at the field of play is good for competition and well under the international parameters for bacteria’s – tested in accordance with the requests from the World Health Organization, local authorities and the IOC (International Olympic Committee),”
Turning to doping, Nuzman favors an idea being discussed in sporting circles that the support team behind any athlete found guilty of doping — such as the trainer, physiotherapist, masseuse — should serve the same ban as the athlete.
“We know that the discussions about doping are very strict but I will always on the side of the control. I will be very tough with this, my tolerance is zero,” he said.
“Sometimes is the athlete (who) is sanctioned but behind him has (there is ) a team working for him and we need to identify these people to be included, to be banished too,” added Nuzman, who was an Olympic athlete who took part in volleyball in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
