Rio 2016 Preparations - Venue & Infrastructure Developments

[Cauê]

For the Olympics, the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system will be one of the world's largest. The light rail system between the port area and the city center will be larger than the system in Dubai, for example. The legacy in transport is one of the largest in history, no doubt.

The light rail will run in the middle of the park??? That seems rather dangerous!

Looks like a streetcar

Yes. The Light Rail will run in the middle of the new 'Praça Mauá' (Mauá Square, place of the new museums like de Museum of Tomorrow and the Rio Art Museum), with an Extremely Slow Speed in this place.

*The Museum of Tomorrow

[Cauê]

Images and Information about the BRT System in Rio

The system connects the international airport to the line 2 of the city's subway and Barra da Tijuca region, the heart of the Games.

BRT in the international airport

And the 'heart' of the system, in Barra

[Olympic Fan Darcy]

Human arm found in olympic sailing course

http://www.livesaildie.com/human-arm-found-in-olympic-sailing-waters/

The article also includes a photo from a year ago where a dead dog is in the waters where sailors will perform

[LatinXTC]

Human arm found in olympic sailing course

http://www.livesaildie.com/human-arm-found-in-olympic-sailing-waters/

The article also includes a photo from a year ago where a dead dog is in the waters where sailors will perform

Well, on the plus side they can change the sailing competition to a scavenger hunt at the last minute if they need to!

Seriously that is disgusting. Rio is so damn ass backwards. I'm beginning to think India's Ganges river is less polluted than the coasts of Rio.

[paul]

RIO DE JANEIRO: Even as athletes grow increasingly concerned about the outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil, the organizing committee for the August Olympics in Rio de Janeiro said it will charge national delegations to have mosquito screens on athletes' rooms.

[baron-pierreIV]

Human arm found in olympic sailing course

http://www.livesaildie.com/human-arm-found-in-olympic-sailing-waters/

The article also includes a photo from a year ago where a dead dog is in the waters where sailors will perform

OMG!!

[Cauê]

Typical Sensationalism.

Sensationalism is a type of editorial bias in media in Which events and topics in news stories and pieces are overhyped to present biased impressions on events, Which may cause the manipulation to the truth of the story .

Image of the Rio's Guanabara Bay and waters where sailors will perform

And images of the waters in some beaches of Rio

Arpoador/Ipanema Beach

http://www.newslocker.com/pt-br/regiao/rio-de-janeiro/rio-amanhece-com-mar-cristalino-e-sem-polcia-no-calado-aps-globocom/

[Cauê]

Pontal ready for Rio 2016 race walking test event

The latest test event for the Rio 2016 Olympics will be held tomorrow with the Brazil Race Walk Cup taking place in Pontal.

The western-most Games venue will stage a 50 kilometres men's senior race which will give athletes the chance to test the Olympic circuit.

Forty organising committee staff will work alongside colleagues from the Brazilian Athletics Confederation along the course, which features a new asphalt surface.

The main areas tested will be the operations centre, course markings, technology and security.

Part of the South American Championships, the event will also feature two Chinese walkers, Hu Yang and Mingli Wang, and Albery Mukwa Ngambene from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Among the four Brazilian entries are Cláudio Richardson dos Santos, a ten-time winner, while Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Peru will also be represented.

The race will begin at 6.30am in order to avoid the most severe heat of the Brazilian summer.

Racing at sea level in such temperatures will not offer a realistic chance of gaining the Olympic qualifying standard, although fans will be able to get a taste of what the Games will be like.

The three race walk events at the Olympics, the men's 20km, women's 20km and men's 50km, will be open to the public without tickets.

The Brazil Race Walk Cup will also allow spectators to watch for free in this manner.

"The public will be able to come and get an idea of how things will be during the Olympic Games,” said Rio 2016 athletics manager Martinho Nobre.

http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1034790/pontal-ready-for-rio-2016-race-walking-test-event

[LatinXTC]

There's sensationalism, and then there's ignorance. You my Brazilian nonfriend are being ignorant, as the articles state that the arm and the dead dog were found in the vicinity of where the sailing course will be. Various athletes who have already had test runs in that area have said there is still a trash problem. All you bring to us are pics where they are either A) photoshopped and/or not even pics of where events will actually take place.

lol sorry about that emoji I don't know how I added that in the most random places lol

Ok now I know I meant to say "B" and ")" but together that translates into this

[Nacre]

While it may be disturbing to find a human body part in the ocean, it's a surprisingly frequent experience all over the world. Mostly due to suicide.

http://io9.gizmodo.com/5846221/why-are-severed-human-feet-washing-up-on-the-beaches-of-the-pacific-northwest

Edited February 28, 2016 by Nacre

[Cauê]

New images of the Rio's Light rail system

VLT Carioca (3) by Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento, no Flickr

VLT Rio Foto Bruno Bartholini by Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento, no Flickr

[Victor Mata]

There's sensationalism, and then there's ignorance. You my Brazilian nonfriend are being ignorant, as the articles state that the arm and the dead dog were found in the vicinity of where the sailing course will be. Various athletes who have already had test runs in that area have said there is still a trash problem. All you bring to us are pics where they are either A) photoshopped and/or not even pics of where events will actually take place.

lol sorry about that emoji I don't know how I added that in the most random places lol

Ok now I know I meant to say "B" and ")" but together that translates into this

I find impressive how foreigners who live tens of thousands of kilometres away absolutely KNOW and can analyze so much more about the city than a resident of it! I mean, the developed world is amazing isn't it?! People are so ahead of their time they can even foresight, sense and perceive things that nobody else does!!

[paul]

here's some local opinion / observation...

Brazil: Activists denounce sewage in Rio De Janeiro waters - AP - Washington Post

RIO DE JANEIRO — Activists alleging that decades of neglect and authorities’ repeated failure to make good on cleanup promises have effectively killed one of Rio de Janeiro’s most iconic waterways staged Saturday a symbolic burial of the Guanabara Bay, the sewage-filled waters where Olympic sailing competitions are to be held.

The demonstration was held on one of the city’s most polluted beaches, Botagofo, which is enveloped in a sulfuric stench, dotted by household trash and looks out over the iconic Sugarloaf Mountain.

Protesters placed a garbage-filled mock coffin on the fetid sands, which they also draped with black cloth.

The event’s organizer, biologist Mario Moscatelli, said the event was among last-ditch efforts to force state authorities to keep their promise of cleaning up the bay before the Aug. 5-21 Games.

Athletes have expressed alarm over not only the sewage but also floating trash, which could potentially cause catastrophic accidents or cost teams medals. Earlier this week, the local O Globo daily ran a photo of what appeared to be a severed arm floating in the bay

Edited February 28, 2016 by paul

[zekekelso]

While it may be disturbing to find a human body part in the ocean, it's a surprisingly frequent experience all over the world. Mostly due to suicide.

http://io9.gizmodo.com/5846221/why-are-severed-human-feet-washing-up-on-the-beaches-of-the-pacific-northwest

Also, natural bodies of water are full of dead animals. Parts of dead mammals may be icky, but aren't really anything to worry about health wise. Raw sewage on the other hand....

[Cauê]

The 'sewage-filled' waters during the last sailing competition in the Guanabara Bay ('AqueceRio' test event)

( I am shocked with the bodies of cows and dogs floating )

vela-evento-teste4 by Puro Esporte, no Flickr

2414_22.17.2015_99757_ef_20150820 by Puro Esporte, no Flickr

2414_22.16.2015_99799_ef_20150820 by Puro Esporte, no Flickr

2414_22.17.2015_99771_ef_20150820 by Puro Esporte, no Flickr

vela-evento-teste3 by Puro Esporte, no Flickr

Diving for death (crazy girls)

2414_22.15.2015_99819_ef_20150821 by Puro Esporte, no Flickr

Sadness in the face of the girls

2414_22.15.2015_99822_ef_20150821 by Puro Esporte, no Flickr

[Cauê]

No Sensationalism. I'm Against It. The pollution in the bay is not a lie, but there are good waters too and the events are a big sucess.

...

The 'sewage-filled' waters during the last sailing competition in the Guanabara Bay ('AqueceRio' test event)

( I am shocked with the bodies of cows and dogs floating )

vela-evento-teste4 by Puro Esporte, no Flickr

2414_22.17.2015_99757_ef_20150820 by Puro Esporte, no Flickr

2414_22.16.2015_99799_ef_20150820 by Puro Esporte, no Flickr

2414_22.17.2015_99771_ef_20150820 by Puro Esporte, no Flickr

vela-evento-teste3 by Puro Esporte, no Flickr

Diving for death (crazy girls)

2414_22.15.2015_99819_ef_20150821 by Puro Esporte, no Flickr

Sadness in the face of the girls

2414_22.15.2015_99822_ef_20150821 by Puro Esporte, no Flickr

[Rob.]

New delay to Rio 2016 Olympic Stadium track - but Mondo says it’s “under control”

Installation of the Mondo athletics track in the Rio 2016 Olympic Stadium has been delayed by at least a month following local hold-ups in preparation and unusually bad weather.

But Andrea Vallauri, head of Mondo’s Sport Division, has told insidethegames that work would be completed in time for the Olympic test event planned for May 14-16, adding: “At the moment everything is under control.”

In December, Vallauri said installation was expected to start at the beginning of February and that everything should be completed “by the end of March.”

Since then preparation work in the stadium has been impacted by disruption to electricity and water supplies due to outstanding utility bills of $225,000 (£152,000/€207,000).

A solution to the problem was compounded by delays due to the Christmas and New Year holiday in Brazil.

Work has also been disrupted by severe weather conditions in recent weeks.

After returning to Italy following his latest visit to the stadium, from February 22-24, Vallauri said: “All the material is on site and we are just waiting for the preparation work in the stadium to be completed - in two weeks, maximum three weeks, we shall be able to start.

“I was in the stadium area last week, although I did not enter the stadium itself.

“There’s still some work to be done, not in the field of play but around the outside, but it has to be finished in order for us to have access.

“The track is going to be completed in time for the Test event, we are quite confident.

“We are still in the safe range in terms of time.

More @ http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1034867/exclusive-new-delay-to-rio-2016-olympic-stadium-track-but-mondo-says-its-under-control

[Cauê]

Last test of the LR system, February 28 (Financial District)

http://www.rio.rj.gov.br/web/guest/exibeconteudo?id=5951813

[Cauê]

New Port Area (Museum of Tomorrow + Rio Art Museum + new Mauá Square + new Boulevard

Museu do Amanhã by Raul Lisboa, no Flickr

Museu do Amanhã by Raul Lisboa, no Flickr

Museu do Amanhã by Raul Lisboa, no Flickr

[Rob.]

Reminds me of Oriente station in Lisbon

[gotosy]

New-look sailing venue for Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games opens doors to public

The jetties have been redesigned and the marina can be accessed from Flamengo Park (Photo: City Hall/Beth Santos)

The new-look venue for the sailing events of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games is now fully open to the public and ready for competition. On Thursday (7 April) city authorities unveiled the modernised Marina da Glória, following a 70 million reais (US$19m) refit.

Become a sailing expert with our interactive infographic

As well as being expanded and redesigned, the marina has been completely integrated with Flamengo Park, one of the most popular leisure areas in Rio de Janeiro. The marina’s waterfront boardwalk, which used to be accessible only to boat owners, is now open to the public and will be connected to the park.

“Before, the Marina da Glória did not welcome locals. Today, it is a new, revitalised space with its arms wide open for visitors”

Marco Aurélio Sá Ribeiro, president of the Brazilian sailing confederation

Located on Guanabara Bay, Marina da Glória has already hosted two test events, in August 2014 and August 2015. The Rio 2016 Organising Committee will take over the site on 13 July, ahead of the Olympic regattas in August and the Paralympic competitions in September.

“We have complied with our commitments, ahead of time. The facility we are handing over is ready. Our focus now will be on operations”

Ricardo Leyser, minister of sports

As part of the renovation, the capacity of the venue has been significantly increased. The number of berths in the water has gone from 140 to 415 and the number of dry stacks has increased from 70 to 240. The marina’s jetties have been redesigned, new electricity and water infrastructure installed and a modern pavilion for athletes has been completed. A car park with space for 470 cars has been built and security for the boats has been improved.

The new pavilion will host the world's best sailors (Photo: Rio City Hall/Beth Santos)

As well as the investment in new sailing facilities, the marina now contains an extensive leisure area for the general public, including four restaurants, a delicatessen, bicycle path and bike racks. After the Paralympic Games the venue will be used for sports, cultural events and entertainment. The marina will also offer sailing and diving courses as well as boat rentals and will have a special area for fishing.

Marina da Glória hosted two test events, in 2014 and in 2015 (Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro)

“As well as hosting the sailing events of the Rio 2016 Games, the city wants to bring the public back to the Marina”

Eduardo Paes, mayor of Rio de Janeiro

Mayor Eduardo Paes and sports minister Ricardo Leyser present the new dry stacks for boats (Photo: Rio City Hall/Beth Santos)

Starting on Friday (8 April) and running until 17 April, Marina da Glória will host the Rio Boat Show. Highlights will include the presence of the Brazilian Olympic sailing team. Athletes will be on hand to explain sailing and visitors will be able to get on board high-performance Olympic boats for a taste of the sport.

Marina da Glória is set to provide glorious images during the Games (Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro)

http://www.rio2016.com/en/news/new-look-sailing-venue-for-rio-2016-olympic-and-paralympic-games-opens-doors-to-public

[bairrosfelipe]

ARENA DO FUTURO (HANDBALL) - MARCH/2016

Source: Brasil 2016

[TeamBlakeUSA]

New Sailing Venue Has Been Unveiled. What Do You Think?

[Rob.]

ASOIF Wants Concerns Addressed at IOC Rio 2016 Inspection

Summer Olympic sports leaders are demanding assurances from Rio 2016 during this week’s IOC check-up amid ongoing concerns about the pace of preparations.

ASOIF president Francesco Ricci Bitti and director Andrew Ryan are representing the 28 sports on the IOC coordination commission, which is conducting its final inspection before the Aug. 5 to 21 Games.

While venue construction is nearing completion across the Olympic project, Ryan tells Around the Rings that ASOIF wants to receive good news about the second Olympic hub at Deodoro.

“We would like to hear that venue construction completion is totally on schedule and see the operational plan for Deodoro Park complete, and that they are confident it’s something that will be delivered… and there are no issues,” Ryan said.

In February, federations expressed concerns about delays at Deodoro, the cluster of venues where eight sports will be staged.

As Rio 2016 slashes costs due to Brazil’s deepening financial crisis, ATR was told that the transport system, work on spectator flows and plans for food and beverage and entertainment facilities were still not finalized.

Ryan is hoping Rio 2016 officials address these concerns head on in presentations to the IOC delegation this week.

He said finalizing plans to transport spectators to Deodoro and providing a top-notch spectator experience were crucial elements to the running of the Games.

“With 80,000 people there on any one day we need to be confident that the experience for those people is the best it could be,” he said.

Ongoing delays at the velodrome remain a big headache for Rio 2016 and the UCI, cycling’s governing body. The laying of the track is not yet complete, which led to the postponement of the Olympic test event.

Ryan said ASOIF leaders would “wait for the report and see exactly what is the situation”.

“We need to be reassured that the track will be laid on time,” he said.

On Monday, IOC inspectors visited Deodoro and Barra to evaluate progress on the venues.

The IOC co-com officially starts Tuesday and runs through Thursday when a joint IOC and Rio 2016 press conference will be held.

Reported by Mark Bisson

http://aroundtherings.com/site/A__55399/Title__ASOIF-Wants-Concerns-Addressed-at-IOC-Rio-2016-Inspection/292/Articles

[Rob.]

Animal handlers to be deployed at Rio 2016 golf venue to carry alligators off course

At least five trained handlers will be on site during the Rio 2016 golf competition in order to scare animals including alligator-like caimans and capybaras, the world's largest rodent, away from the course.

They will be on standby to "transport the animals from one side of the course to another" if necessary, according to Folha de S.Paulo.

There will be no risk to players or members of the public, it is claimed, with the alligators usually known to flee when surrounded by people.

Signposts will be erected to warn spectators of where animals are known to be.

Alligators would be carried off the course by handlers, it was reported, with the action designed to protect the animals rather than those attending golf's return to the Games.

More @ http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1036375/animal-handlers-to-be-deployed-at-rio-2016-golf-venue-to-carry-alligators-off-course