The algae outbreak that threatened the Olympic sailing competition in Qingdao has spread hundreds of kilometres up the coast to popular tourist areas, even as Chinese officials yesterday claimed near-victory over the thick green sludge.

The long stretch of beach at Baishatan, 150km north of Qingdao, has been lined in recent days with 10-metre- wide slicks of algae that gave out a noxious odour to the few tourists who braved the sand, causing panic among tourist operators.