Green water in Rio Olympic swimming pool draws suspicions

Photo taken on August 9, 2016 shows the green water in the diving pool of the Rio Olympic Games. [Photo: huanqiu.com]

Suspicions have been drawn to the water in the swimming pool of the women's 10-meter platform synchro match on August 9th at the Rio Olympic Games, which was not the usual blue but dark green.

The odd scene was captured in the live broadcast of the event, and many athletes also posted photos of the swimming pool, on social media to question the bizarre phenomenon.

A photo combo shows the comparison of blue and green water in the diving events at the Rio Olympics. [Photo: huanqiu.com]

Some say the regulators of the swimming pool turned the water to green on purpose to echo the green color of Brazil's national flag. But few people believe that version, with many more tending to think the color is due to the failure by the pool maintenance technicians to add chlorine to the water.

Photo taken on August 9, 2016 shows the green water in the diving pool of the Rio Olympic Games. [Photo: sohu.com]

One more theory says it was Rio's warm weather and abundance of sunshine that led to mass reproduction of algae in the water.

Photo taken on August 9, 2016 shows the green water in the diving pool of the Rio Olympic Games. [Photo: huanqiu.com]

Some spectators and journalists also expressed concerns over the green water, fearing it may affect athletes' performances. The divers in the competition including the gold medalists Chen Ruolin, and Liu Huixia from China, and the bronze medalists Meaghan Benfeito, and Roseline Filion from Canada said the green water didn't seem to affect them much.