China says it has cleared algae from Olympic sailing venue
(Read article summary)The Chinese government says that it has cleared away the algae that had been blocking the Olympic sailing course in the eastern city of Qingdao.
The Chinese government says that it has cleared away the algae that had been blocking the Olympic sailing course in the eastern city of Qingdao.
Using shovels, rakes, pitchforks, and their bare hands, some 10,000 People's Liberation Army soldiers and volunteers worked to remove the green slime from the coastline ahead of the Tuesday deadline. A boom and netting have been set up to prevent more of the foul-smelling, verdant muck from entering the area.
"The sailing event, which will be held in more than 20 days, will not be threatened by the algae," Olympic official Wang Wei said to China Daily. He told the state-run publication that some 303 athletes from 33 countries practiced sailing at the venue on Tuesday.
"Photos posted on sohu.com, a popular Chinese Web portal, showed waters supposedly around Qingdao devoid of algae," reported the New York Times, without linking directly to the photos. "While the sea there could not be described as azure, it appeared clear enough for boating."
Nobody knows exactly where the the thick, heavy weed came from. It began appearing in late June, eventually covering almost one-third of the sailing venue. China Daily claims the emerald gunk floated in from the Yellow Sea.
