Now the pool used for water polo and synchronized swimming joins the Olympic diving pool in containing uninviting swamp green water. The water polo pool has been affected the same way. pH levels are at the required standard.
Advertisement
Rio spokesman Mario Andrada insisted the “water will be blue from now on” after water experts spent Wednesday morning carrying out a series of tests.
Swimming’s governing body FINA has also addressed the discolouration and released a statement confirming that tests have proven the water poses no health risks to the athletes.
They believe they have done what is appropriate to fix the issue, and they believe the water should turn back to blue by the end of Wednesday.
It seems divers don’t care too much about the colour of the water.
“Mid-afternoon yesterday there was a sudden change in the alkalinity of the diving pool”, Andrada said. Some suggested that the green came from oxidized copper in the pool’s pipes, but others wondered whether urine was the culprit.
Confusion and Curiosity struck Olympic divers as they discovered that they will be jumping into what looked like a pool of green jelly. “I think they bumped up the chlorine or something because my eyes are stinging”, Australian centre back Richie Campbell said afterwards.
“The algae makes the water look green”.
No diver withdrew from competition but many said the effect was freaky.
The diving and water polo pools are part of the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre, a permanent facility which opened in 2007. We kept the same level of maintenance as we did before, but we had far more athletes.
Brazil’s hosting of the games already has seen a number of organisational snafus including flawed Chinese flags at official ceremonies, complaints about huge queues, Olympics transport chaos and a wave of thefts.
Advertisement
“The water is not supposed to be green”, said Ralph Riley, vice-chairman of the Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group (Pwtag).
