RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Olympic officials gave up on cleaning the green-tinged water in one of the pools at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Center. Instead, they began draining it Saturday and planned to transfer nearly 1 million gallons of clear water from a nearby practice pool in time for the start of synchronized swimming.
Mario Andrada, a spokesman for Rio 2016, said the "radical measure" was necessary to ensure clear water for both judges and competitors during an event that requires swimmers to spend much of their time underwater.
He stressed again that the kale-colored water posed no risk to the health of the athletes.