Canoeists show disgust over Rio’s waters

RIO DE JANEIRO – Canoeists at an Olympic test event complained Friday about the polluted water at the venue, but were most outspoken about aquatic plants that tangled with their oars and rudders.

“I think really the most important thing they have to do is to work with the plants,” German canoeist Franziska Weber said. “Because it’s not fair. We work four years only for this moment, and to lose then because of plants – it’s hard.”

She described the water color at the Olympic canoeing venue as “red and brown. It’s not the typical water color.”

Weber joked that the effect on boat speeds of dragging weeds along was like “running up against a wall.”

Her teammate Sebastian Brendel, a gold medalist three years ago in London, added: “This is just a test, but for next year they must clean the water.”

Simon Toulson, general secretary of the International Canoe Federation, promised the weed problem would be cleared up for next year’s Olympics. He said weeds had just been cut and had floated to the surface. Next year, he said, there will be time to collect the floating plants.

Toulson characterized the polluted water as presenting “very little risk” to athletes.