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Vila Olímpica Oscar Schmidt gains new athletics track: 230 meters and four lanes
Published on 13/02/2021 - 14:20 | Updated on 13/02/2021 - 14:33
The track is 230 meters long and has four lanes - Beth Santos/City of Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes attended the inauguration of the new athletics track at Vila Olímpica Oscar Schmidt, in Santa Cruz, in the West Zone, this Saturday (13/02). It is 230 meters long and has four lanes on a red synthetic floor, molded in rubber with polyurethane resin. Paes highlighted the efforts of the City Hall, at the beginning of his administration, to reopen the city's sports facilities.
– We are trying very hard to make the existing facilities in the City Hall work better. We are reopening all the Olympic villages and carrying out some renovations, such as this athletics track. This is a space that shows the importance of the Olympic villages for sports. Sports play a role in inclusion, coexistence and health – explained the mayor.
The Oscar Schmidt Olympic Village, which is part of the Municipal Sports Department (SMEL), has over two thousand students. Chayenne Silva, a 400-meter hurdler who is on the shortlist for the Tokyo Olympic Games – scheduled for July 23 to August 8 – praised the new track.
– I was very happy with the renovation. It was a long-time wish. It will certainly help improve not only my results, but those of everyone who trains here. I am very grateful to have this support – said Chayenne, who is just over a second above the Olympic standard, which is 55.
Sprinter Arnaldo Oliveira, who came third in the 4x100m relay at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, made a point of congratulating Paes on the inauguration of the athletics track. He placed the bronze medal around the mayor's neck and posed for photos next to him, simulating the start of a race.
Village revitalization
The new track will be used for athletes' learning and training activities. To improve its conditions, the grandstand that serves the track itself and the soccer field was renovated. The sand pit for jumping and the rainwater collection gutters on the floor were also renovated.
For the municipal secretary of Sports, Guilherme Schleder, the revitalization of Vila Oscar Schmidt, especially the athletics track, was extremely necessary due to its conservation, in addition to being a long-standing demand of the residents.
– The Village is a very important facility for the entire region, as it serves more than two thousand students. Its revitalization, especially in an Olympic year, will allow for improved training for children and young people who dream of one day competing in important international competitions in the sport.
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