Get ready for the Rio 2016 Olympics — tickets are expected to sell quickly. Athletes will compete across 42 sports, and Brazil’s long sporting tradition provides rich context for the Games. For example, the country’s first recorded sailing regatta took place in 1851 in Botafogo Bay, between the Botafogo ferry bridge and the Praia Vermelha fortress. Decades later, Flamengo and Fluminense met for the first time in 1912; their rivalry, known as Fla-Flu, remains one of Brazil’s most famous football derbies.
The Rio competition zones are organized by district and venue type to help visitors plan where to go. Here’s a clear breakdown of each zone and the events hosted there:
- Deodoro: This zone features an aquatics center, Deodoro Stadium, an equestrian center, hockey facilities, a shooting center and a youth arena. The X-Park area includes mountain bike, BMX and whitewater stadiums.
- Barra: Home to Barra Olympic Park and the Riocentro exhibition complex, Barra hosts tennis, the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre, the aquatics stadium, the Olympic Village, the press center, the Olympic golf course and the Pontal venue.
- Maracanã: Maracanã stadium will stage the opening and closing ceremonies as well as several football matches. The Sambódromo will host archery in addition to being a centerpiece of Rio’s carnival culture.
- Copacabana: This beachfront zone will host the beach volleyball arena, marathon swimming, triathlon and para-triathlon events, as well as the Olympic cycling road race and Paralympic marathon. Lagoa Stadium will present rowing, canoe sprint and para-canoe competitions, and nearby Marina da Glória will be the sailing venue.