Olympics: Kiwi athletes to be guinea pigs

Issues with sewage, garbage and algae contamination have plagued the Rio waterway venues. Photo / Getty

Kiwi rowers, sailers and triathletes will be guinea pigs in Rio de Janeiro's polluted waterways during tests of new Olympic facilities next month, as organisers reiterate a pledge to clean up the waters before next year's Games.

Issues with sewage, garbage and algae contamination have plagued the waterway venues for decades, and the local council and federal government have been accused of dragging their feet on a clean-up.

It's now six years since the Brazilian beach city was named as next year's Olympic host, and Rio 2016 organisers admit the water quality still isn't up to scratch - but they're adamant athletes will be safe when the Olympics finally roll around.

The organisers unveiled details of the test schedule for the new Olympic venues on Friday (NZT), beginning with volleyball next week at Rio's established Maracana football stadium - which will also host the opening ceremony.

Several of New Zealand's strongest Olympic sports - including rowing, sailing, triathlon, and equestrian events - are also among the first tranche of events to test whether the new competition facilities meet the high Olympic standards.

Other sports, such as rugby sevens - which returns to the Olympics for the first time in 90 years - won't be trialled until next March, followed by track cycling, swimming and athletics through to mid-May.

A triathlon qualifier and an international sailing regatta will take place in the Guanabara Bay next month, while the World Junior Rowing Championships will be held on Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon.

Both spots have had historic contamination problems: in April this year, the International Sailing Federation threatened to shift the Olympic sailing events due to the ongoing issues, while the same month, city officials revealed that a clean-up of the lagoon removed more than 32 tonnes of dead fish.

Local biologist Mario Moscatelli has told the New Zealand Herald that all athletes participating in sports in Guanabara Bay should get vaccinated against Hepatitis A, due to the faecal contamination.

Rio 2016 executive director of communications, Mario Andrada, told the New Zealand Herald there's still a lot of work to be done, but he's confident the waterways will be safe before the opening ceremony next August.

He says the lagoon is "fine", with work continuing on a new system to keep the waters clear for rowers, but concedes there are ongoing issues in the bay.

"There is no hiding from the fact that Guanabara Bay needs to be cleaned ... We can guarantee you that the waters will be clean enough [next August] to protect the health of the athletes and also to protect the health of the competition, because, you know, floating garbage can interfere in the competition.

"We're going to ... use nets to protect the competition field and deliver a clean competition field. To deliver a clean Guanabara Bay, which is one of our commitments, will take a little longer - eventually after the Games."