Don't Go Swimming in Waters of Rio

(ATR) Olympic sailors should not swim in Guanabara Bay unless they are vaccinated, according to one expert.

Mario Moscatelli, Brazilian ecologist and professor at the Central University of the City of Rio de Janeiro, told Around the Rings that the environmental cleanups promised by the Brazilian government for the 2016 Olympics, are just that - "promises."

"Unfortunately, the Brazilian authorities, once again, promised several environmental improvements due to the Olympics, but so far, none of them have happened yet," Moscatelli said to ATR by email.

On Jan. 26 a Rio de Janeiro state government spokesperson told ATR that all existing water venues for the 2016 Olympics were "suitable for bathing."

Moscatelli disagrees.

"I would not risk diving in the Guanabara Bay," he said.

"[I would bathe] only if you have been vaccinated against hepatitis A."

On Jan. 23, environmental secretary of the Rio de Janeiro state Andre Correa told the AP that the environmental goals set out in Rio 2016’s candidature file will not be met.

The government pledged that 80 percent of sewage flowing into Guanabara Bay would be treated, which Correa said is "not going to happen."

"Simply, the authorities promised the recovery of the Guanabara Bay and lagoon complex of Jacarepagua. With only 558 days [until the Games], almost nothing substantial has been done," Moscatelli said.

Alastair Fox, head of competitions at the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), said to ATR on Jan. 27,"more has to be done," to get Guanabara Bay ready for the Olympic sailing regatta.

"We are reviewing a report that we just received from Rio 2016," Fox said to ATR.

"We are going to come up with an action plan with actions that need to be done before the test event, later this year, and before the Games as well."

Sailing has its second test event in August 2015.

Fox said the main issues are the "eco-boats" that are clearing debris from the bay, and the lack of effectiveness from the "eco-barriers" stopping trash from entering in the bay from sewage flows.

"There is a whole host of things that we know [Rio] is doing, but we want to make sure they continue to do more," Fox added.

There is no discussion of moving Olympic sailing from Guanabara Bay, and Fox refrained from commenting on whether the water was safe enough to swim in, as ISAF has not finished reviewing all the data given to them.

Fox said a worst case scenario would be to shuffle events away from certain courses if the water quality is bad during the Olympic regatta.

During the Aquece Rio test event last August, the water quality in the bay fluctuated throughout the week. Despite being bad for a "couple of days," Fox said the quality "on the whole was good."

"There are a lot of sailors that are sailing [in the bay] and it hasn’t stopped the sailing there, so we’ll wait and see what the reports conclude."

The Rio 2016 Coordination Commission will meet on Feb. 23-25 to get an update on all aspects of the Olympic project.

Written by Aaron Bauer

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