How Big Is The Rio 2016 Whitewater Stadium?

The multi-million pound Rio 2016 Whitewater Stadium consists of two slalom courses. The first is a 200-metre long class II to III training course while the second is the 250 metre long class II to IV channel that will be used for competition.

Between them, these two whitewater courses contain 25 million litres of water with a combined flow rate down both channels of 22 cubic meters per second. To put that in perspective that’s almost the same as Lee Valley, the venue for the London 2012 canoe and kayak slalom, which pumps 10.5 cubic meters per second down its training course and 13 cubic meters per second for Olympic level competition. The stadium will also feature temporary seating for 8,424 spectators during the Games.

How Long Did It Take To Build The Rio 2016 Whitewater Stadium?

Work started on the Rio 2016 Whitewater Stadium in August 2014 with a projected ready date of February 2016.

November 2015 saw the first successful test event of the course with international canoe and kayak athletes trying out the Whitewater Stadium for the first time, giving feedback to the course designers about how the rapids are to ride and what improvements could be made.

Athletes aren’t the only ones who’ve got to try out the Rio 2016 whitewater stadium. With soaring temperatures around Rio, the city’s mayor, Eduardo Paes opened the site for locals to use as a swimming spot to cool off. Currently around 11,000 locals a day have been coming for a dip at the Olympic venue ahead of the Games beginning in August.

What Will It Be Like To Compete On The Rio 2016 Whitewater Stadium Course?

US Slalom Team Kayaker, Aaron Mann got the chance to try out the Rio 2016 Whitewater Stadium in November last year. In an article he wrote for canoekayak.com Mann described the course as “powerful and punishing”, noting that it was pretty difficult to rectify mistakes from missed strokes.

Mann also thought there may be a few too many Rapidblocks which were slowing the water flow down in some places, making it hard to create waves in certain areas of the course, but felt confident that the organisers would have everything running smoothly by the beginning of the Games.

Will The Rio 2016 Whitewater Stadium Be A Success?

Completed on schedule and with time to spare for last minute tweaks and polishing, the 2016 Whitewater Stadium is a one of Rio’s biggest Olympic venue successes. This fast and powerful course, built by an experienced team of designers will ensure that the Rio 2016 Whitewater Stadium is part of Brazil’s Olympic legacy that will remain long after the excitement of the games has faded. Just like Lee Valley, Rio’s Whitewater Stadium will be a great training and competition facility not just for 2016’s Olympians but also for generations of canoers and kayakers to come.

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