RIO DE JANEIRO — The problem of the suddenly green water in the Olympic diving pool worsened Wednesday as whatever was ailing the pool migrated (albeit in a lighter shade of green) to the nearby pool used for water polo and synchronized swimming. But Olympic officials said that after extensive tests, they had finally pinpointed the reason: a chemical imbalance caused by too many people using the water.
There had been speculation Tuesday that algae was the cause, but that theory was dismissed by officials.
“Midafternoon, there was a sudden decrease in the alkalinity in the diving pool, and that’s the main reason the color changed,” Mario Andrada, a Rio 2016 spokesman, said Wednesday morning.