A fire erupted at Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Park velodrome on Wednesday morning, prompting a major emergency response from about 80 firefighters and 20 vehicles.
Authorities stated the military fire department had the blaze under control, and that is was largely confined to the venue’s fabric roof.
No injuries were reported, and the building’s interior – including the Olympic Museum – remained untouched.
The cause of this latest incident is under investigation, though the facility has a history of similar roof fires. Two similar blazes occurred in 2017, both caused by falling paper sky lanterns.
Since hosting track cycling during the 2016 Summer Games, the Velodrome has served as a primary training base for Brazil’s national cycling and weightlifting teams.
Brazil hosted the summer Olympics for the first time ever a decade ago, and won 19 medals, including seven golds. At the time, this was the most successful Games in the nation’s history.
They improved on this total at the Tokyo Olympics five years later, taking home 21 medals – seven golds, six silvers and eight bronzes.
Brazil only managed to win three gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but still earned 20 medals in total thanks to picking up seven silvers and 10 bronzes.
As well as building a legacy at the summer Olympics, Brazil has now started to improve its record at the Winter Games.
In February, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen stormed to Olympic giant slalom gold in Italy to become the first South American medallist in Winter Olympics history.
Following his victory, he said: “I’m not even sure if I can grasp reality as I stand here with this gold medal, it’s hard to translate my emotions into words, totally impossible actually,” he said.
“I hope I can inspire some kids in Brazil, that despite what they wear, despite how they look, despite where they come from, they can follow a dream and just be who they are. That’s the real source of happiness in life.”
