March 26, 2016 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) – Ongoing construction delays with the Rio 2016 Olympic Velodrome have forced the cancellation of the track test event originally scheduled for April 29-May 1 reports Inside The Games and The Guardian. Logistical problems concerning the installation of the track in Barra de Tijuca Olympic Park were cited as the reason for the delay according to Organizing Committee’s director of communications Mario Andrada.
A two-day training period has been arranged from June 26-27 as a replacement for the test event to allow for a “quick test” of the venue. Concerns are mounting that the velodrome may not be completed in time for scheduled track events from August 11-16, or it will not be sufficiently tested by then.
Many of the problems stem from the country’s economic and political instability. “Brazil Economic Woes Deepen Amid Political Crisis” reads a headline in the Wall Street Journal. President Dilma Rousseff is facing possible impeachment in a corruption scandal while the economy has been shrinking. Goldman Sachs claims that Brazil may be facing a depression.