Just Days Before Olympics, Tokyo's Outdoor Swimming Venue Stinks

For residents who live near the shore, that's an unappealing thought because, despite months of efforts to clean up the water, the bay stinks.

In less than two weeks, Olympic swimmers will dive into Tokyo Bay to compete in the triathlon. For residents who live near the shore, that's an unappealing thought because, despite months of efforts to clean up the water, the bay stinks. Known for its shoreline of gleaming skyscrapers and iconic Rainbow Bridge, the "futuristic landscape" was selected "at the strong request of international sporting organizations," according to the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee. But in the run-up to the games, problems began to emerge. In August 2019 a test for the swimming part of the Paratriathlon was canceled after E. coli bacteria was found in the water at more than twice the limit set by the International Triathlon Union, now called World Triathlon. As one athlete put it, the venue "smelled like a toilet," the Asahi newspaper reported. Since then, the host city has taken drastic steps to try to repair its tarnished image. It dumped 22,200 cubic meters of sand into the bay to create an environment for organisms that help clean the water. And it's designed three-layer polyester screens to protect the Olympic swimming venues from E. coli. On top of that the city was already building huge storage tanks to capture flood runoff, so that it can be treated before reaching the sea.