The former head of world sailing's governing body has claimed he was fired for pushing to move the Olympic sailing venue out of Rio de Janiero's Guanabara Bay due to pollution concerns.
Peter Sowrey, who left his role as chief executive of ISAF in December after just five months in the job, told the Guardian he was forced out of the organisation as he was too vocal on the issue of water quality. Sowrey proposed to move the event to Buzios, a coastal resort about 175km north east of Rio that has been host to several large sailing events, but was "told to gag myself on the subject".
"The board felt I was way too aggressive. They basically voted me out. I didn't resign. The board finally told me to leave," he said.
Andy Hunt took over the helm of the organisation earlier this month and sailing is still scheduled to begin in August in the sewage-filled bay, despite tests revealing the levels of contamination were well outside what would be considered safe.
Sowrey and Hunt both acknowledge the picturesque bay, which is overlooked by the famous Christ the Redeemer monument and Sugarloaf Mountain behind it, will make for spectacular pictures, opening the sport up to the kind of television coverage it seldom enjoys.