Andy Hunt, Ex-World Sailing CEO, Says He Was Fired For Trying To Move Rio Olympics Event

Former World Sailing CEO Peter Sowrey has spoken out and claims he was fired for attempting to get rid of polluted Guanabara Bay as the sailing venue for this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio di Janeiro.

Sowrey reportedly tried to change the venue, or at least have a “B plan” but says “I was told to gag myself on the subject.”

Ex-World-Sailing CEO Says He Was Fired For Trying To Move Rio Olympics Event

Andy Hunt took over just two days ago as the organization’s new CEO, and sailing is still scheduled to begin in August in the bay. Hunt has much experience with sports politics. He was the CEO of the British Olympic Association, and the BOA delegation head for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, and the 2012 London Olympics.

In interviews with The Associated Press, Sowrey and Hunt stated that the bay — which is overlooked by the famous Christ the Redeemer monument and Sugarloaf Mountain behind it — may just give sailing the kind of television coverage it rarely enjoys.

However, it is likely that sailors could also either fall ill or get pollution stuck in their rudders because of all the garbage that fills the bay.

Sowrey had suggested moving the event to Buzios, a coastal resort about 160 kilometers (100 miles) from Rio that has previously been host to large sailing events. Sowrey left his post in December after only five months as CEO, coming from consulting company Accenture.

“The board felt I was way too aggressive,” Sowrey said. “They basically voted me out. I didn’t resign. The board finally told me to leave.”

Independent testing of Guanabara Bay conducted by the AP over the last year shows presence of disease-causing viruses linked to human sewage at levels thousands of times higher than what would normally be considered alarming in the U.S. or in Europe. These viruses could potentially cause stomach and respiratory diseases that could disqualify an athlete from competing in the Olympics.

“It [Guanabara] is not ideal,” Hunt said. “For one moment I’m not saying it’s ideal, but I do think there’s a huge amount of effort and attention going into this to ensure the safety of the athletes.”

Hunt also noted that the bay was the venue for the 2007 Pan American Games, and that Rio has held two Olympic sailing test events in the last two years. Hunt described these as “successful,” although many sailors complained about the stench around the marina.

Hunt then added, “The ultimate test— if we have delivered a great regatta — will be the response from the sailors.”

PHOTO: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – JULY 29: Pollution floats in Guanabara Bay, site of sailing events for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, on July 29, 2015 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Rio government promised to clean 80 percent of pollution and waste from the bay in time for the games but admits that goal now is unlikely to be reached. August 5 marks the one-year mark to the start of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)