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As Rio de Janeiro prepares for next year's Olympic Games the city , known for its beauty as well for its gap between rich and poor, is changing. As part of an attempt to integrate Rio, the government opened and artificial beach in Rio's poor north zone, also chosen to be the home of Brazil's Olympic rings.

Rio's iconic Ipanema and Copacabana beaches are one of the city's most famous postcards views, but they are located in the wealthy south zone free and open to all but far for those living in the outskirts of the city.

This is the Rocha Miranda beach, as it was officially named. It is not the ocean, but here neighbors of the poorer north zone can now cool down in spray cascades or relax in a clean and safe sand park. A game changer for the life of many:

"Comparing to the south zone, well it is impossible, but there was nothing here before and just watching the happiness of the children is wonderful. Well done, this is just great for us," Neighbor Egas Muniz said.

"It is close to our homes, very well organized , clean , where children can play as much as they like   so it is good option for all the people of this area," Neighbor Carolina Boleli said.

The beach is part of a larger project. The area is known as the Madureira Park and is also home of the Rio 2016 Olympic rings that were donated by the UK. It has plenty of space to practice sports and will be one of the live sites to watch the games.
Stand Up Lucrecia in the sand park

The idea is to make Rio de Janeiro a fairer, a more equal city , by offering leisure alternatives to people that would take almost two hours to get to beaches of Ipanema or Copacabana.

Last week, at the inauguration of the beach, Rio's Mayor Eduardo Paes bathed with the children and said he expected to help end Rio's divide:
 
"I hope that we can make this city more united, that people from the south zone come here as well as people from the north zone go there," Rio De Janeiro mayor Eduardo Paes said.

It is a complex task as Rio's contrasts are still too obvious but giving some refreshment to the city's deprived areas is something these people are welcoming especially now as Rio's scorching summer approaches.