There was a ferocious storm that passed over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil last night. While the swimmers preparing for the King and Queen of the Sea were training in the pool when dark clouds quickly blanketed the skies in the late afternoon.

But the rapid grayness were balanced by long streaks of lightening that lit up with skies with ear-shattering brilliance. As buckets of water poured down on the swimmers and entire metropolitan area of 6.3 million people, the athletes and coaches on deck ran for cover.

The deluge turned into rivers of water cascading down the surrounding mountains, pouring into the Atlantic Ocean, bringing to Copacabana Beach the nastiness of urban runoff.

When some open water swimmers are faced with swimming in coastal waters heavy with pollutants from city streets, some of them take Xifaxan® (rifaximin) tablets before the race if they are concerned about polluted water or water with bacteria that they are not accustomed to. Some swimmers experience side effects, but Xifaxan® is used for the treatment of travelers’ diarrhea caused by pathogenic E. coli.

But the quality of water in Copacabana Beach is reportedly acceptable by the afternoon after a few tidal flows blew out most of the urban runoff.

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source