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Green Water Lingers in Olympic Pools as the Excuses Pile Up

RIO DE JANEIRO — Why can’t they fix the swimming pools at the Rio Olympics?

The water in two of the competition pools has grown progressively greener and murkier all week, even as officials have been unable to provide a plausible explanation for the problem, let alone solve it.

Things had gotten so bad on Friday that athletes were complaining of eye irritation, morning diving practice was canceled in one of the pools and officials said that the second pool, which is used for water polo and synchronized swimming, would probably have to be drained completely and refilled with water from a nearby practice pool.