The president of Rio's Olympic Games Organising Committee has waved away fears the water quality of the sailing venue is a health hazard.
With Tuesday marking 500 days to go before the opening ceremony for the Games in Brazil, pressure is increasing on Olympic organisers to work on the widespread pollution in Guanabara Bay.
Organising Committee president Carlos Nuzman claimed the voices slamming the state of the sailing venue - which include biologist Mario Moscatelli - were selective in dissecting the areas of the waterfront.
"The sailors compete all over the world, in various different locations, even if there are water problems or not," Nuzman said.
"Whoever was in Beijing knows very well how the sailing venue had problems, and still has them today. Sydney as well. So I'm not wanting to point this out, but I'm wanting to say that here will be different. It's going to be. We are working on it.
"And another detail that is important, when you speak about the Guanabara Bay, you're talking about the immense Guanabara Bay.
"I have not read one article that was able to speak specifically about the areas for competition.
"These areas where the competitions will take place have different characteristics from other areas that need more treatment."
Nuzman also spoke of his desire to gain access to Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo for the Olympics' football events, despite Brazilian Serie A club Corinthians reportedly holding reservations about their venue being used.
"All of us want for the Corinthians' stadium to be part of the games. It's a spectacular stadium. It was a success in the World Cup," Nuzman continued.
"The meetings that started on Monday, are meetings which are the start of meetings to reach an agreement to solve the problems, which can always be solved.
"And I don't have the slightest doubt that we aren't going to just have Sao Paulo but the Corinthians stadium in the games, which is going to show a lot.
"It'll be a party that Sao Paulo deserves to have during the Olympic Games."