The sailing venue at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will be "totally clean", president of the organising committee Carlos Nuzman has said.
The condition of the water at Guanabara Bay has been highly criticised, with tests revealing a high level of bacteria and two sailors becoming ill after the test events in August.
However, while Nuzman has acknowledged that it is a "very serious matter", he insists that the quality of the venue will improve by next summer.
Nuzman is quoted by BBC Sport as saying: "This is a very serious matter. Marina da Gloria needs improvement but will be totally clean by the end of the year with the construction of a new pipe structure that will take sewage and rain water elsewhere.
"I have no doubt we will have no problems with the sailing at Guanabara Bay. The health of the athletes is the number one point we're working on and we're doing our absolute best to protect the athletes' health."
The Games commence on August 5.
Darren Plant
