324 sailors gathered to compete in the 2014 International Sailing Regatta
The first test of the 2016 Olympic Games is currently taking place in the bay of Rio de Janeiro. A total of 324 sailors have taken to the Brazilian waters for the 2014 International Sailing Regatta, bringing together 34 countries and 23 Olympic medalists. The athletes compete in the following categories: men's 49er, Laser, 470, Finn and RS:X Board and women's 49er, Laser Radial, 470 and RS:X Board.
Sailing conditions that disconcert the athletes
While all the conditions should be met for a competition taking place in an idyllic setting, the quality of the water leaves much to be desiredâ?¦ While the competitors have been competing since Monday, it is in the midst of waste that they are regaling: plastic bags and bottles that stick to the hulls of the sailboats, floating chairs and even a dead dog! The waters of the bay that were supposed to be cleaned up are absolutely not. It is the Australian candidate, Mathew Belcher, gold medalist at the 2012 Olympic Games in the 470 category, who made this macabre discovery "We found a lot of bottles and plastic bags. Yesterday, we saw a dead dog in the water (...). If the Olympics were held tomorrow, we would really have a problem he explains in the website of the daily Folha de Sao Paulo.
Delayed cleanup threatens events
According to the Brazilian authorities, there is no danger to the health of the athletes. Only, the work of depollution which had to allow to clean up nearly 80 % of the bay by 2016, took delay. Let's hope that by the beginning of the Games, the government has been able to put in place the measures announced to allow skippers to race in good conditions.
