Olympic venues and events taking place at Copacabana and the legendary beaches of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro boasts one of the most impressive natural configurations of any city its size in the world. The landmarks of Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado and the Sugar Loaf mountain are the focal points of a memorable skyline, yet they would not be half as alluring would it not be for the backdrop of Tijuca National Park and above all the Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon beaches completing the stunning frame of reference.
Most of the Olympic events will take place at three key areas. Barra da Tijuca, the American style western suburb of Rio, will hold the swimming, water polo and the diving competition at the Aquatic Center. Barra will contain also the site of the Olympic Village itself. The Joao Havelange Stadium, north-west of the downtown, will stage the track and flied events. And the most famous soccer stadium of Brazil, the Maracana, one of the largest stadiums in the world, will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Olympic Games. Along with the Deodoro Park, the third cluster of Olympic sites, where the modern pentathlon, white water events and mountain bike events will take place, is as Maracana in the northern zone of Rio.
Although the major competition venues are located in the above three neighborhoods, the legendary south coast beach areas will be included in the staging grounds of the Olympic events as well. Copacabana beach will host the Olympic volleyball, as it should. Copacabana waterfront and Flamengo Park will also be the site of triathlon and road cycling.
Rio de Janiero tried to bid for the games three times before but always failed, in 1936, 2004 and last in 2008 when it hoped to hold the games of 2012 eventually awarded to London, it is not new to hosting prominent sporting events, notably Soccer World Cup, Formula One races and Pan American Games. Having persevered and finally won will no doubt repay the effort. The Olympic Games 2016 in Rio promise to be a grand occasion not to miss indeed.
