By Nick Butler 

Praise but more work to do, is the verdict of the ISAF after the first Rio 2016 test event ©Getty ImagesInternational Sailing Federation (ISAF) head of competitions Alastair Fox has praised the improvements made with pollution levels at the Rio 2016 sailing venue on Guanabara Bay, but remains concerned about objects in the water that could affect racing.


The week-long test event from August 3 to 10, the first in any sport ahead of the Games getting underway in under two years' time, took place after a build-up dominated by concerns over pollution levels on the course.

Earlier this year, Fox even admitted to insidethegames that holding the test event would be "difficult" as planned measures to deal with the pollution would not have come into operation.

But the event was ultimately considered a success, with positive feedback from participants and the Organising Committee, although some concerns were expressed.

Dead dogs and dumped cars were among objects seen cluttering the course, while a "nasty stench" was also reported. 

"Before the test event the ISAF was very concerned about pollution inside the bay and outside the bay," Fox told insidethegames.

"At the start of the event Rio 2016 carried out water quality tests across the field of play and the results showed that the water quality met Brazilian and international water quality standards.

"Having been there we believe the course areas outside the Bay are good but we need to ensure that there are no objects in the water that could affect racing.

"Outside the bay we are still concerned about the water quality levels but it is clear that the water quality inside the bay has improved over the last four years.

"There are still concerns about the number of objects in the water inside the Bay and we will work closely with the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and Rio 2016 to ensure everything is done to ensure the water quality is improved and that we have a clean field of play."

Debris, including dead animals, does remain in the waters of Guanabara Bay ©AFP/Getty ImagesDebris, including dead animals, does remain in the waters of Guanabara Bay
©AFP/Getty Images



Similar sentiments have been offered by participants, such as Jo Aleh, helms-woman for the victorious New Zealand 470 crew, who observed there was "a big difference", with "a lot less less rubbish in the water than there was a year ago".

The problems seem to occur after heavy rainfall, when sewage from illegal connections or favelas gets mixed with rainwater and flushed into the Bay, or when tidal changes bring debris into the waters from other areas. 

American Morgan Reeser, a two-time 470 class Olympian and Barcelona 1992 silver medallist who is coaching Austrian and American sailors ahead of Rio 2016, has no doubt the regatta "can be the best sailing Olympic Games ever".

But rather than cite pollution levels, he highlighted problems with administration as the major obstacle.

"Course allocations and timing were poorly thought out and event communication to the athletes was intermittent and inconsistent," he told Scuttlebutt Sailing News. 

"It all made for very long days with very few races to show."

This was another aspect raised by Fox in his appraisal of how useful the event had been in order to discover what aspects need to be focused upon over the next two years.

"We had an excellent opportunity to test the field of play, equipment, workforce, systems and procedures," the official told insidethegames.

"We learnt an awful lot that will help us plan for the 2015 test event and then make the right decisions for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

"We were able to fully integrate the ISAF team with the Rio 2016 management and it was the first opportunity for the ISAF race officials to work alongside the Brazilian race officials to ensure that in 2016 we can deliver excellent race management for the sailors."

The International Sailing Regatta was the first in a series of 45 national and international events across all the Olympic and Paralympic disciplines that will take place up until May 2016, although most of these will not get underway for another year from now.

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