Rio Olympics 2016: Officials reveal why the pool turned green
The green Olympic diving pool sits to the right of the 'cloudy' looking water polo pool. Photo: Getty
Rio Olympic Games organisers have finally come clean about what caused the water polo and diving pools to turn an unusual shade of green.
The blame has been slapped on a contractor, who added 80 litres of hydrogen peroxide to each of the diving and water polo pools last Friday, organisers said.
“This is a way of cleaning swimming pools but you’re not supposed to combine it with chlorine,” Rio 2016’s director of venue management Gustavo Nascimento said.
“We were not consulted, our contractor’s failure is our failure … of course it’s an embarrassment,” he said.
The diving pool turned green, despite other pools remaining blue. Photo: Getty
The water does not pose a risk to athletes, organisers urged. That’s despite some water polo players complaining of itchy eyes.
The pool water would be drained and replaced before the synchronised swimming started on Monday (AEST), because competitors had to see the bottom of the pool.
Matildas are teamwork queens
We love the Matildas and we love their captain Lisa De Vanna. But do we love her as much as her teammate, Elise Kellond-Knight?
This is truly what friends are for. Watch the video below:
https://twitter.com/erinruberry/status/764318934011092992
Farah falls but wins
Mo Farah became the first British track and field athlete to win three Olympic gold medals by taking out the 10,000m title, but a mid-race fall almost derailed the milestone.
Not only did Farah fall, he wasn’t even in the race lead until there was 150m to go in the event.
“When you go down you get really emotional and I just had to pick myself back up and believe in myself and just work through. And at the end when I crossed the line I just got really emotional,” Farah said of the fall, according to the BBC.
Watch the fall:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dod5dIxST6Q
How to ride a bike on a wall
No, that is not an apparition, that is Dutch rider Laurine van Riessen riding on the wall of the velodrome during her keirin heat.
New line found by the Dutch rider on the advertising hoardings in the Velodrome 😱🚴🏻 pic.twitter.com/fNSYiJ0ok5
— Jon Flannagan (@jonfl) August 13, 2016
There’s video too:
MOZES! Van Riessen vliegt echt bijna de baan uit… dan ben je je leven dus echt niet zeker… pfff. pic.twitter.com/2iusWzBka1
— Mark Rijk (@MarkRijk) August 13, 2016
Photo of the day
It was a tie, and it was all about Michael Phelps.
This is the moment that Michael Phelps dived into an Olympic pool for the last time ever. Photo: Getty
The 23 times Michael Phelps got his 23 Olympic gold medals. Photo: Getty
‘This is not your room’
Everyone loves a bit of gossip from the athletes village and this bit of information from inside the complex made its way onto social media.
The British women’s cycling team left a note on their door, telling their gold-medal-winning men’s counterparts to stay away.
Hats off to the girls they know us too well 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/N9xgcXzN1M
— Owain Doull (@owaindoull) August 13, 2016
Americans turn on their own champ, brand him traitor
The United States’ reigning Olympic decathlon champion Ashton Eaton – who is married to Canadian heptathlete Brianne Theisen-Eaton – has been slammed on social media for supporting his wife.
In particular, a picture of Eaton wearing a “Canada” hat while watching his wife compete.
How about an "I love my wife" hat or "Team Brianne" hat? C'mon @AshtonJEaton 🇺🇸 💯% for #RioOlympics2016 https://t.co/bEczNF0aWJ
— 🍊Michael F. Downing 🍊 (@MichaelFDowning) August 13, 2016
https://twitter.com/reedstrong7/status/764308440239833088
Eaton responded to his critics:
Have I not represented USA well? Yet u demand more. Ur respect is hard earned. I support the country that produced my wife;who ru2 shame me?
— Ashton Eaton (@AshtonJEaton) August 13, 2016
Are your grandparents from another country? Will your grandchildren be? What then? Hopefully you'll adopt a more reasonable view.
— Ashton Eaton (@AshtonJEaton) August 13, 2016
What to watch on Monday
Whatever you’re doing – don’t miss the men’s 100m sprint final at 11.25am (AEST).
It’s the marquee event of any Olympics and there’s the chance of seeing history as Usain Bolt aims for three in a row.
Earlier, Esther Qin and Maddison Keeney are given an outside medal chance in the 3m springboard diving at 5am, while Matthew Glaetzer will ride for bronze in the men’s track sprint at 6.04am.
There’s also the men’s tennis singles gold medal match at 4am and the final stages of the golf – which we hope Marcus Fraser features in.
The men’s 400m is always good viewing and Australia play quarter-finals in men’s hockey at 7am and women’s beach volleyball at 12.59pm (AEST).
The pick of the bunch:
8pm-4am: Golf – men’s individual (final round)
4am: Tennis – men’s singles gold medal match
5am: Diving – women’s 3m springboard
6.04am: Cycling – track, men’s sprint
7am: Hockey – Netherlands v Australia (quarter-final)
8am: Basketball – Australia v Venezuela (men)
11am: Athletics – men’s 400m
11.25am: Athletics – men’s 100m
12.59pm – Beach Volleyball – Australia v United States (women) – quarter-final
The Rio Report will be published on each day of the 2016 Olympic Games.
