A significant fire damaged the roof of the velodrome in Rio de Janeiro's Olympic Park, but fortunately, the venue's track sustained no harm. Around 80 firefighters and 20 fire engines responded to the emergency after being alerted at 04:17 local time on Wednesday, as reported by the state's military fire department.

The velodrome, which played a pivotal role during the 2016 Olympics, where Great Britain secured six Olympic and eight Paralympic gold medals, also houses the Olympic Museum featuring various exhibits and artefacts from the Games.

Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere stated that a preliminary assessment confirmed that "the track at the Olympic Velodrome was not damaged in any way." He further noted, "It remains intact and well-preserved. Obviously, it will need to be cleaned and undergo some form of maintenance before we can announce that the velodrome is back in operation."

Lt Col Fabio Contreiras informed CNN Brazil that firefighters fought the blaze both inside and outside the velodrome, working diligently to protect the artefacts in the museum. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and officials confirmed there was no risk of the fire spreading to other parts of the Olympic complex.

This incident marks the third time the velodrome roof has caught fire, with previous occurrences in 2017 attributed to falling sky lanterns.