After Rio de Janeiro secured the rights to host the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, the velodrome was penned as the venue for track cycling. However, in 2013 the International Cycling Union (UCI) declared, to the dismay of taxpayers and local media, that the Barra Velodrome was not suitable to host Olympic events. The ICU cited various problems with the venue infrastructure, such as the pillars of the venue partially obscuring the view of the spectators and judges, and the track's design being unable to allow a cyclist to travel as fast as and - the requirement by Olympic standards. Riders during the 2007 Pan American Games were only able to achieve top speeds of .