The Rio de Janeiro State Government has revealed details of the infrastructure improvements that will be made at Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, the location for the rowing and canoe sprint events at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the rowing and paracanoe competitions during the Paralympic Games. Work is due to start in April and the changes will allow the venue, which will be called Lagoa Stadium, to host international events in both sports after the Games.

“These improvements will elevate the course from being at a level adequate for local competitions to being capable of hosting any kind of rowing or canoe sprint competitions in the coming decades,” said Gustavo Nascimento, Rio 2016 Venue Management Director. “The new system will be the most modern available but will cause minimal environmental impact.”

The project includes the construction of a new finish tower and the renovation of the existing boat houses. The lane markings, timing equipment and television cameras will be supported by a network of underwater metal structures that will be implanted in the lagoon bed. The structures will be made specifically to minimise their environmental impact, while meeting the requirements of the International Sport Federations.

“All of the work is being done with the legacy in mind,” said Rodrigo Vieira, Secretary of Special Projects for the state government. “We did a study of the soil and the water depth in order to discover the best materials to use and the best way to execute the project. The structure will be under water, in order to not disrupt the surface.”

The project is being executed by the state government and Vieira said the work was scheduled to take about three months to complete. The Rio 2016 Organising Committee will then provide the equipment for the lanes to be installed.   

The Rio 2016 rowing test event in August this year will be the first opportunity to test the new equipment.