LÄNDER
STÄDTETIPPS
TOURENTIPPS
PROFI SUCHE
2ND LEAD Water in green Rio pool being replaced amid growing criticism By Alexandra Mayer-Hohdahl, dpa
Europe
Rio de Janeiro (dpa) - Rio organizers stepped up their battle against
the unusual green colour that has plagued their open-air Olympic
pools, as amusement over the problem turned into mounting criticism
Saturday.
"Today was pretty gross. You‘re standing on the stairs and you can‘t see your feet, 1.5 metres down," Australian diver Maddison Keeney said after competing in the women‘s 3-metre springboard semi-final. "I just try to close my eyes and close my mouth."
German coach Lutz Buschkow called the conditions in the diving pool not "Olympics-worthy," questioning its cleanliness by noting that the water now also appeared to be coated in something. German divers had complained about a bad odour at the pool on Friday morning.
But organizers were focusing their efforts Saturday not on the diving pool, but on an adjacent basin - the main pool in the Maria Lenk aquatics centre.
Its water was being changed on Saturday afternoon, following water polo competitions in the morning and ahead of synchronized swimming events on Sunday.
"We‘re moving to a more radical approach with the water," Rio 2016 organizing committee spokesman Mario Andrada told journalists. "The water in the main pool will be replaced."
The diving pool is continuing to be treated with chemicals, venue media manager Simon Langford told dpa.
Treatment problems have been blamed for the unusual green colour, with FINA - the ruling body for water sports - saying that water tanks had run out of some chemicals, leading the pH level of the water to be outside the usual range.
Efforts to get the pools blue again were later complicated by rain.
Officials have insisted that the health of the athletes using the pools is not at risk.
Long-time coach Buschkow said he had never seen anything of the kind, pointing also to problems at the facility with cold showers and empty warm-up tubs.
"We repeatedly put pressure for the organizing committee to act to have dignified competitions here," he said. "I would like to see a faster change."
"Today was pretty gross. You‘re standing on the stairs and you can‘t see your feet, 1.5 metres down," Australian diver Maddison Keeney said after competing in the women‘s 3-metre springboard semi-final. "I just try to close my eyes and close my mouth."
German coach Lutz Buschkow called the conditions in the diving pool not "Olympics-worthy," questioning its cleanliness by noting that the water now also appeared to be coated in something. German divers had complained about a bad odour at the pool on Friday morning.
But organizers were focusing their efforts Saturday not on the diving pool, but on an adjacent basin - the main pool in the Maria Lenk aquatics centre.
Its water was being changed on Saturday afternoon, following water polo competitions in the morning and ahead of synchronized swimming events on Sunday.
"We‘re moving to a more radical approach with the water," Rio 2016 organizing committee spokesman Mario Andrada told journalists. "The water in the main pool will be replaced."
The diving pool is continuing to be treated with chemicals, venue media manager Simon Langford told dpa.
Treatment problems have been blamed for the unusual green colour, with FINA - the ruling body for water sports - saying that water tanks had run out of some chemicals, leading the pH level of the water to be outside the usual range.
Efforts to get the pools blue again were later complicated by rain.
Officials have insisted that the health of the athletes using the pools is not at risk.
Long-time coach Buschkow said he had never seen anything of the kind, pointing also to problems at the facility with cold showers and empty warm-up tubs.
"We repeatedly put pressure for the organizing committee to act to have dignified competitions here," he said. "I would like to see a faster change."
Facts
Kommentare zu diesem Artikel
Diesen Artikel empfehlen
Weitere Artikel zu diesem Thema
Tipps der Redaktion aus dem Reiseportal
REISEPORTAL

Pyeongchang, South Korea (dpa) - Norway‘s Marit Bjoergen wins the 30-kilometres cross country ski race to become the best decorated Winter Olympian of a all time with eight gold, four silver and three bronze.
Pyeongchang, South Korea (dpa) - China highlighted that construction for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics is in full swing while trying to defuse questions on the sensitive issue of artificial snow-making at the ski venues.Organizing committee BOCOG
Berlin (dpa) - Figure skating events at the Pyeongchang Olympics, with day and time (in GMT), 2014 champions and athletes to watch.Monday, February 12, 0100: team event (Russia) Thursday, February 15, 0130: pairs (Tatiana Volosozhar/Maxim Trankov,
Seoul (dpa) - An overview of venues to be used to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games in 2018.Pyeongchang Mountain ClusterLocated around 180 kilometres east of Seoul in the Gangwon province. Here there is the 35,000-capacity Olympic stadium for the
Frankfurt (dpa) - Germany will be unable to host an Olympic Games inside the next decade but the subject will not remain closed, a leading official has said."The overall topic of a potential bid has rather a mid- or long-term character," German
Pyeongchang, South Korea (dpa) - The International Olympic Committee advanced plans on Thursday to set up an independent anti-doping testing system following the drugs scandal in Russian sports.The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is also set to
Tipps der Redaktion aus dem Nachrichtenportal
NACHRICHTEN

The European Union has removed eight countries - including Panama, the United Arab Emirates and South Korea - from its 17-country blacklist of international tax havens, just seven weeks after the list was compiled. Brussels (dpa) - The eight
French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday his government planned to bring forward a law to help limit the impact of fake news on future election campaigns. Paris (dpa) - Macron told journalists gathered for a New Year‘s message in the
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Catalan President Carles Puigdemont were holding separate meetings Monday as the crisis triggered by an unauthorized Catalan independence referendum marred by violence unfolded. Barcelona (dpa) - Rajoy started
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a second, undisclosed meeting during the G20 summit in Hamburg, news reports said Tuesday. Washington (dpa) - The second meeting lasted about one hour and took place after the more
Six Balkan nations - not necessarily with a strong track record of collaborating - will come together for a summit on Wednesday to exchange ideas about how to cooperate and build ties in their region, according to the European Union. Belgrade (dpa) -
Questions about contacts with Russian officials have led to the resignation of one top White House official and cast clouds over other members of President Donald Trump's administration. Washington (dpa) - Key dates in the widening investigation of
Stock News

Agenda - The Week Ahea ...Agenda - The Week Ahea ...
Agenda - The Week Ahea ...
Agenda - The Week Ahea ...
Afghan Farah Governor ...Ministry Warns Cinema ...
Afghan Farah Governor ...
Ministry Warns Cinema ...
Puigdemont won't seek ...Turkish tensions with ...
Puigdemont won't seek ...
Turkish tensions with ...
URGENT: Norway's Bjoe ...China highlights Beiji ...
URGENT: Norway's Bjoe ...
China highlights Beiji ...