Swimming is splashing into the confines of a rugby stadium with all eyes on whether world records will be smashed
Olympic swimming rarely disappoints, and it starts on Saturday with the women’s 100m butterfly heats. As excitement builds, many are wondering if the pool will produce record-breaking performances to light up the Games.
First things first; in Paris there is a separate venue for the swimmers in Nanterre while the divers and artistic swimmers get to star in the £151m purpose-built aquatics centre in Saint-Denis. So much for the hype around a flexible pool. Instead, the swimming events will be held in the Paris La Défense Arena where two 50m temporary pools have been built in what is normally a 30,000-seat rugby stadium.
There are four main factors that can determine the pace of a pool. The depth of the water, which should be deep enough to reduce the impact of waves hitting the bottom of the pool as this causes turbulence, but shallow enough for the swimmers to see the floor and use the tiles as reference points for their speed. Historically, the Olympic standard of three metres is seen as the optimal depth.
Next, the gutters need to be big enough to absorb the effect of waves hitting the sides of the pool. Gutters that are too small leave swimmers in the outer lanes at a disadvantage, as they would be more affected by turbulence. At the Olympics the outer two lanes are unused to create a more level playing field. Finally, non-slip starting platforms allow swimmers to make a powerful start.and there have been some questions raised over the effect this will have.
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