Rio 2016 stadium shut over roof problems

RIO de Janeiro has been forced to temporarily close the stadium which will host the athletics competitions at the 2016 Olympics because of structural problems with its roof.

Authorities said the Joao Havelange Stadium, known in Brazil as the Engenhao, is not safe to host public events until the problems are fixed.

Rio de Janeiro mayor Eduardo Paes said yesterday he decided to close the venue immediately after surveyors monitoring the stadium’s roof notified him.

“I asked them if these problems posed a threat to fans and the answer was ‘Yes,’ depending on circumstances such as wind velocity and temperature,” Mr Paes said.

“There was a risk, so I decided to close the stadium ­immediately until we have more details about the solution that we will need.”

Mr Paes said the extent of the threat was not fully known, but the decision was made after consulting three different reports. A more complete analysis will take place before solutions can be considered.

“The stadium will stay closed for an undetermined period,” the mayor said.

“If they give me a solution that will take a month, then it will stay closed for a month. If it takes a year, it will stay closed for a year. I will wait until a definitive solution if presented. We can’t play with something like this.”

Organisers of the Rio Games played down the possibility that the problem will affect the 2016 ­Olympics, saying the event is still “years” away and a solution will be found well before South America hosts the event for the first time.

“The Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Organising Committee has full confidence that the city of Rio de Janeiro will take the necessary measures to guarantee that the Olympic Stadium is ready for the games more than three years from now, as well as for the test events before them,” the organising committee said in a statement.

Mr Paes said officials will evaluate what caused the problem so those responsible can be held accountable.

The Engenhao has been the main Rio stadium since the ­Maracana closed for renovation ahead of the Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup. It will not host matches in those tournaments, but it could be used for training.

The stadium was being used for matches in the Rio state football championship and the Copa Libertadores, Latin America’s most important club competition. Two matches in the Rio tournament which were scheduled for this week had to be transferred to the smaller Sao Januario Stadium.

There is still no decision on where to play the remaining matches of the Rio championship which were scheduled for the Engenhao, including the tournament’s finals.

The stadium was built for the Pan American Games in 2007 and cost more than the original budget, prompting heavy criticism at the time. The final cost was about £132 million.

The Engenhao’s capacity is expected to be extended to cater for a crowd of 60,000 for the ­Olympics.