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OLYMPIC CUEMANCO COURSE TopG Main&

The Olympic Rowing and Canoing Course, at Cuemanco, Xochimilco, was one of the new buildings for the Mexico 68, Olympic Games. The other buildings were: The Sports Palace (for basketball competitions), the Olympic Bicycle Course, the Fencing Room, the Olympic Swimmingpool (dives, swimming, penthatlon and waterpolo), el Olímpic Poligon (archery and penthatlon), the Olympic Gimnasium (voleiball) and Olympic Village (atlethes hosting).

Thomas Keller, the FISA president in that years, baptised the Cuemanco Course as the "Miracle Course", because the express and very good construction. In 1966, when the Course construction was annuncied, Keller said that he thought that it was not possible. Nevertheless, the Course was finished in time and it was the best Course in that years, and one of the best courses till the middle of the 1980's. So, for the first time, the remo and canoing competitions taked place in an artifitial course, avoiding the waves by natural flows.

The Olympic Rowing and Canoing Course was named "Virgilio Uribe", young member of the Heroic Naval School, who defended the Veracruz Port of Norteamerican Invasion at the country. The Course is localized at the south of Mexico City at Xochimilco. It has two canals: the principal, for rowing and canoing practice and for competitions; the other one is the secundary canal or return canal and is used for training during classifications. There is a principal building for the Mexican Rowing Federation (FMR), for Mexican Canoing Federation (FMC) and for administrative offices. There is another building of 4 floors for judges and press. The course has fixed bleachers for public and a track around the canal for tv and public standing up.

The course is 2200 m (7213 ft) lenght, 125 m (410 ft) wide and it has a depth of 2 m (6.6 ft). It has concrete marks each 500 m (1639 ft) in both borders. The direction for regattas is the same of the wind direction (N - S). It has 6 rodes of 13.5 m (44.3 ft) wide limited by yellow boyes. The hangars are in front of the endline.

After the Mexico 68 Olympic Games and till the middle of 1980's, the Marine Secretary was encharged for the care of the Course. After that, the responsible was the Distrito Federal Sport Department and, at the present, the Mexico City Governement throught Xochimilco Delegation is responsible for the care of the Course.

At the present days, in spite of the Course bad conditions, there is an agreable variety of atlethes practicing many sports like running, walking, basketball, weights, aerobics, etc. in a total zone of 19 000m² (204 246 ft²). Nevertheless, is very sad the current situation of this legendary Olympic Course, because the abandonment and forgetfulness of the corresponding autorities.

XOCHIMILCO TopG Main &

Xochimilco has its language roots in the náhuatl mexican dialect. It is formed by xohitl, that means flower; milli, cultivated field; and co, place. "Flower fields place".

The xochimilcas (people that speaks clear) were one of the 7 nahuatlaca tribes. By 919, they were the founder or the Xochimico old kingdom, at the south of mexican valley.

Their life depended of the lake that supplied water for Mexico City. They become very famous in all the world for their chinampas, a kind of field adhered with canes at the muddy bottom of the lake by a mix of vegetals and the mud itself. They obtained many vegetable harvest each year and they offered it at the Xochimilco market. In the present, some people who lives in Xochimilco, produces a beautiful variety of flower at the chinampas.

In the rain epochs, the lakes of the mexican valley, were cause of inundations. For that reason, the water was protected with fences. Today, many water for the south of the city, comes from Xochimilco.

Today, the Xochimilco community controles the quantity of trees and calla lilies. Visitors can see the chinampas taking a ride on the traditional trajineras, that sail throught its canals.

The trajineras sailing is a sample of the Xochimilco ancient tradition of "rowing". Today, modern rowing and canoing are practiced in the canals and at the Cuemanco Olimpic Course. People do not practice these sports at the old canals because the motorized ships cause serious damages to the chinampas.

Rowing is one of the young's favorite sport. They often train at the early morning in boats from many different clubs. Moreover, some years ago, athletes from the "Xochimico Club" altough trained at the course.

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