Rio 2016 is exactly two years away and the draft calendar of 45 test events has been released.
"The test events are crucial to preparations for the Games, as organizers try out and put stress on every element to identify problems ahead of the real thing," according to Inside the Games.
The Aquece Rio, which translates to "Warm Up Rio," will have its first test event this week in the waters of Guanabara Bay, even though the bay has over 78 times Brazil's legal fecal pollution limit in the water, Inside the Games reported. This will be the only test event occurring in 2014.
Almost 8,400 athletes, including Paralympic athletes, are expected to participate in the test events. This week, over 300 sailors will meet on the Guanabara Bay.
Outdoor events will be tested in the late summer and throughout the fall because the weather conditions will be similar to the expected weather when the games begin in Aug. 2016.
The Aquece Rio series will be separated into three clusters. From July to October 2015, there will be a marathon test event including running, equestrian, road cycling, sailing and open water swimming.
Going into the November 2015 to February 2016 cluster, indoor sports will be the focus. Athletes will test events such as table tennis, boxing and wheelchair rugby.
The final cluster, from March through May 2016, will feature larger events, such as gymnastics, weight lifting and rugby.
The testing events will end with athletics at the João Havelange Stadium and swimming at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on May 16, 2016.
After releasing the test schedule today, Olympic officials are eager for the Aquece Rio to see if they are ready to host the first Games on the South American continent.
"Test events are a vital part of the preparation for staging the Games, providing the opportunity to put all our planning into practice," Delphine Moulin, Rio 2016's Test Events Manager, tells Olympic.org.
