3+ Meter Waves Slam Copacabana Beach, Site of Open Water Swimming

The Copacabana Beach, which will be home to the open water swimming at the 2016 Olympic Summer Games, have given athletes a reminder this winter season that not all open water swimming is done in rowing basins.

Record-setting 4.66 meter waves lashed the beach in June in front of the temporary structure built by the Olympic Broadcasting Services building that was constructed to support the marathon swims that take place in the 2nd week of the Olympic Games. Those waves tore down 2-meter high (over 6 feet) barriers built to protect the building, which have now been replaced by sand barriers. There is some concern about the building, which has been flooded due to the high waves, and its structural soundness – especially after a nearby elevated bike path collapsed in April of this year, killing 2.

The phenomenon isn’t new to the area, though this winter has been particularly unsettling. This past weekend, waves as high as 3 meters have been reported on the same beach.

Here’s a video of waves breaking at the Copacabana Beach last December, from Daniel Collina, to give an idea of what waves of this size look like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od9iuPdBhHU

The Copacabana Beach will be home to marathon swimming, triathlon, and beach volleyball during the Olympics.

In London, marathon swimming was held in The Serpentine in Hyde Park, London – an artificial recreational lake.

More video from this past weekend, courtesy Kavya Soman:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55h3Gi5rooE