The restoration work on the BMX Olympic Center at Parque Radical de Deodoro was handed over this Friday (3) by Rio City Hall. The renovation is completed weeks after the city of Rio de Janeiro presented to the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) a joint bid, with Niterói, to host the 2031 Pan American Games.
“The track built for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games was completely renovated, with a 350-meter course [feminino] and 400 meters [masculino]and occupies an area of around four thousand square meters”, states Rio City Hall in a statement.
“Rio wants to be the home of high-performance sports. We are calling for the 2031 Pan and the city is ready to host these Games”, declared Mayor Eduardo Paes.
“A track with this Olympic standard is special. We have some in Brazil, but they don’t come close to this one. It is very important for the evolution of our sport”, declared Pedro Queiroz, an elite male BMX athlete.
Joint application
At the beginning of December 2024, the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Niterói presented the COB with a joint candidacy to host the 2031 Pan American Games. The project was presented by the cities to Panam Sports, responsible for holding the Games. The decision will be taken in August 2025, during the Junior Pan, in Asunción (Paraguay).
In possession of the letter that formalizes the joint candidacy, the COB will prepare the procedure for choosing Brazil’s representative in the dispute for the Pan 2031 host. Each country can present only one candidacy and, in addition to Rio and Niterói, São Paulo has already made it official your interest in organizing the event. The COB has until January 31, 2025 to present the Brazilian candidacy to Panam Sports, the continental entity responsible for the Pan American Games.
For COB president Paulo Wanderley, the joint candidacy could be an advantage for both cities in relation to competition with São Paulo. “Shared candidacy is a trend at the International Olympic Committee. It is a multi-sport event. There are more than 30 Pan-American championships in one week, of all disciplines”, he stated.
