Former World Sailing CEO Peter Sowrey said that he was fired for "pushing to get rid of polluted Guanabara Bay as the sailing venue for this year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro," according to Stephen Wade of the AP. Sowrey tried to change the venue, or at least have a "B plan" but said, "I was told to gag myself on the subject." Andy Hunt took over just two weeks ago as the new CEO, and "sailing is still scheduled to begin in August in the sewage-filled bay." Sowrey and Hunt said that the bay -- overlooked by the famous Christ the Redeemer monument and Sugarloaf Mountain behind it -- "may give sailing the kind of television coverage it seldom enjoys." It could also bring "unwanted attention if sailors fall ill, or if floating rubbish -- plastic bags to door frames to animal carcasses -- fouls rudders" and costs someone an Olympic Gold Medal. Sowrey "proposed moving the event to Buzios," a coastal resort about 160km from Rio that has been host to several large sailing events. Sowrey said, "The board felt I was way too aggressive. They basically voted me out. I didn't resign. The board finally told me to leave" (AP, 1/26).
