Rio Olympics 2016: Why the pool turned green

A picture taken on August 10, 2016 at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro shows the diving pool of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Authorities had nevertheless assured athletes competing in the diving pool-as well as in the water-polo pool, which was also turning green-that the water posed no risk. Red-faced Rio Olympics organisers anxiously waited for the diving water to turn back from a nervy green to classic blue as a lack of chemicals was revealed as the cause of the colour changes. She wrote on Twitter that “FixTheSwamp” should start trending.

Rio 2016’s spokesman Mario Andrada said: “We did have test events with the same number of divers but we are using the pool for a longer period now”.

Cornel Marculescu, the executive director FINA, also said the water has no effect to the health of athletes.

The water reportedly caused a couple athletes to have “itchy eyes”. In an Olympic stadium you expect stunning pools filled with sapphire blue water, but this year they’re looking more emerald and it’s kinda gross. We reduced immediately the quantity. “We really weren’t focused on that and just focused more on giving it one dive at a time, plain and simple”. The odor was such a problem that the pool had to be closed, as it was like a giant invisible turd was suffocating the athletes. He said the decision was supported by world governing body FINA.

That problem has lingered into Friday and moved to the diving pool.

Andrada said officials were caught off guard by the pool’s deteriorating condition.

U.S. diver David Boudia asked if it was a deliberate joke or an early St Patrick’s Day celebration, while the Internet had a field day with their own theories of what exactly happened.

“Now the water quality problems are moving to the pool”, said Jose Tundisi, a prominent Brazilian water resources researcher and professor at Feevale University in Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul State, who has been outspoken about the risky pollution in Rio’s bay. “We retested the water and it was totally within the parameters”.