Carlos Nuzman, head of the Rio organizing committee, promised to introduce viral testing, saying the most important thing was "the health of athletes," the Associated Press reported.
Before Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee and Brazilian organizers repeatedly insisted that only bacterial testing was necessary, despite an AP analysis that showed there were dangerously high levels of viruses at all Rio Olympic water venues.
But even if the tests do show viruses in Rio’s waters, Olympic organizers say they have no plans to move venues. Rather, they will assess the best way of cleaning up the water, the AP reported.
Testing will not begin until the end of the year, Nuzman said, shortening the time available to fix things before next year’s Games open on August 5.
A number of athletes have become sick while competing at the aquatic venues. Last month, German sailor Erik Heil was treated for infections after competing at Marina da Gloria.
"I have never in my life had infections on the legs. Never!" Heil said on the sailing team's Olympic blog. "I assume I picked that up at the test regatta. The cause should be the Marina da Glória where there is a constant flow of wastewater from the city’s hospitals."
The waters along Rio's Atlantic coast have been polluted for years, despite successive governments spending hundreds of millions of dollars on clean-ups.
