The Organizing Committee of the 2007 Pan American Games (Co-Rio) decided on Tuesday to back away from building a boathouse at the pier on Rio de Janeiros bayside, which will prevent sailing events from being ranked as the Olympic level.

Following a meeting of Co-Rios President Carlos Arthur Nuzman with representatives of the local Public Prosecutors Office, the committee decided to accept the plea from the Institute of National Historical and Artistic Heritage (Iphan), which objected to the construction of the boathouse on the pier at Marina da Gloria, a famous sightseeing point of the city.

In a press statement, Co-Rio stressed that temporary structures can still be built for the Games, depending on an authorization from Iphan.

Judicial issues and the element of time obliged Co-Rio to choose to delegate to Iphan the decision on how to use the pre-existing area at Marina da Gloria in order to shelter 87 boats that will participate in the sailing competition, stated the committee.

According to the meetings resolutions, one of the losses will be the fact that the competitions to be held at the spot will only reach a Pan American operational level, instead of the previously pursued Olympic level.

Iphan argued that a permanent boathouse would visually affect the Parque do Flamengo, a 1.2 million square meter leisure area built in the 1960s to host museums, sports facilities and parks and gardens specially designed by landscaper Roberto Burle Marx. The place is protected by a federal law, aimed at preserving its original features, and the reforms for the Pan American Games, which will take place in July, have been paralyzed since Sept. 2006.

Source: Xinhua