News When the Australian rowing team got into the boat for their first training session at Lagoa Stadium, they knew it was the most unique race course they had ever been on "It’s pretty cool to have Christ the Redeemer looking down at you when you’re on the course; that’s pretty special,” James McRae, who will be competing in the men’s quad sculls, said of the course located on the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas in the heart of Rio de Janeiro "To be 10 minutes from Ipanema, it’s a pretty good location If you’re going to take a trip around the world, you’d probably put that on your list of things to do " Olympic tickets are available on the Rio 2016 portal The view of the surrounding mountains isn’t the only thing that make the Lagoa venue unique Several recent Olympic rowing competitions have taken place on man-made courses, but rowers in Rio will have to compete on a natural body of water in the heart of the city “We do a lot of rowing on mad-made courses, it’s very different for a rowing course to be next to the ocean,” explained Sally Kehoe, who will be competing in the women's double sculls with Genevieve Horton “We’re very wary of the winds that come off the ocean Often with a man-made course, you build it with the prevailing winds "The wind will be a factor here That’s fine It’s an outddor sport That’s how it rolls We’re not a swimming event " Australian rowers like Will Lockwood and Josh Dunkley-Smith say they are prepared for the conditions at the Lagoa venue (Rio 2016/Miriam Jeske) Managing the weather isn't a breeze Rowers were given a taste of Rio’s unpredictable ocean breezes Monday when a morning training session was cancelled due to high winds Teams like Australia say the won't be taken aback by strong gusts at Lagoa or the lake's salty water, which can affect a boat's buoyancy Heading into the Games, the team often trained in conditions similar to Rio Rowing: more than a century of Olympic tradition While man-made venue offers a controlled environment, a natural course like Lagoa forces rowers to pay closer attention to their surroundings High winds can prove to be challenge, but if properly handled they can also offer an opportunity On the day of the race, teams will make last-minute changes to accommodate the elements such as adjusting the length of their oars, that could give them an edge over their opponents "You can't control the weather," Cameron Girdlestone, McRae's team-mate in the men’s quad sculls, said "It's something you have to be aware of at all times We can't let the weather conditions get control of what's going on in our boat " The uniquely urban setting Lagoa, Rio 2016's Olympic rowing venue (Rio 2016/Miriam Jeske) Rowing in the heart of Rio Rowing in the heart of Rio Girdlestone says he loves the fact that the course is in the middle of a bustling city Most courses are set in quiet, pastoral settings or in the suburbs, but the scene around Lagoa is lively to say the least “There’s a lot of atmosphere around the venue," he said "You hear cars blaring past, horns and ambulances There are not a lot of courses in the world like that " A Chinese rower prepares to hit the water Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro Fans and athletes said they were impressed by the atmosphere at Lagoa Stadium Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro The oar tips show to which nations they belong Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro Technical officials monitored the event from close quarters Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro Fans from around the world supported their rowers Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro Early in the morning, the views across Lagoa are spectacular Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas was the setting for the World Rowing Junior Championships, the Rio 2016 test event Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro There is much to do, both in and out of the water Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro A US rower carries her team's oars out to the boats Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro By the time the sun comes up, the rowers are already hard at work Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro With many family members and friends of the rowers in the stands, there were often emotional scenes Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro A German fan shows her support Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro Out of the water, technical officials had a lot of work to do Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro The rowers were competing on the waters that will be used for the Olympic and Paralympic Games next year Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro In the water, it's all about working those muscles Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro The dawn rowers are rewarded with a serene atmosphere on the city centre lake Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro