Olympic Swimming in Paris: Electrifying Atmosphere Overshadows Slower-Than-Expected Times
The atmosphere at the Olympic swimming events in Paris is electrifying, but the times in the pool are slower than anticipated. During the first four days of competition at the temporary pool in La Defense Arena, no world records were set—until Wednesday night, when China’s Pan Zhanle broke his own record in the men’s 100-meter freestyle. Still, most of the world’s top swimmers have posted slower-than-expected times.
The likely cause is the pool’s depth, which is slightly shallower than optimal. The pool was designed this way to accommodate additional prime deck-side seating, but it creates more waves and turbulence at the surface.
“I’ve heard the rumblings, but at the end of the day, we’re here to race,” said American star Katie Ledecky, who won her first gold medal of the Games in the 1,500-meter freestyle. “We’re all fast swimmers. We make the pool as fast as we want it to be. I’m not really thinking about it.”
World Aquatics has since mandated a minimum depth of 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) for future swimming and water polo events, such as the portable pool planned for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. However, when Paris was awarded the Olympics, the temporary facility was approved under previous guidelines allowing a depth of 2.2 meters (7.2 feet). By comparison, the pool at the U.S. trials in Indianapolis, which was around 2.8 meters (9.1 feet) deep, saw two world records set.
Despite the pool’s depth, nine Olympic records have been set through the first 20 events at La Defense Arena. But no one is complaining; all competitors are facing the same conditions.
“I try not to pay attention to it just because we’re all in the same pool,” said American Katie Grimes, who won silver in the 400-meter individual medley. “Regardless of whether it’s a slow pool or not, it’s not going to affect just one person. It’s affecting everybody.”
The atmosphere in the arena has been raucous, with more than 15,000 fans filling the indoor stadium, typically home to the famed rugby club Racing 92. The loud and passionate crowds have been especially energetic when French star Leon Marchand competes.
“It doesn’t matter whether I’m racing here in Paris or at a local pool in South Australia,” said Australian sprinter Kyle Chalmers. “It’s all about winning the race in the pool. Everyone has the same opportunity. Everyone has a lane. We’re all swimming in the same pool.”
Chalmers doesn’t believe the pool is entirely to blame for the slower times. “There’s a lot of pressure and expectation that people put on themselves,” he said. “A lot of people haven’t swum in the Olympics before. I think the nervous energy of having 15,000 fans in the stadium is crazy. I personally love it, but I think people definitely crack under that pressure.”
Still, the times have been surprising. Summer McIntosh of Canada dominated the 400 IM, but her time was more than three seconds slower than her world-record performance at Canada’s Olympic trials in May. Romania’s David Popovici won gold in the men’s 200 freestyle with a time of 1:44.72, the slowest by an Olympic champion in that event since the 2000 Sydney Games. Italy’s Nicolò Martinenghi claimed gold in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 59.03, which would not have medaled in the last two Summer Games and was the slowest winning time since the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Since World War II, every Olympics has seen at least one swimming world record. In 2008, a staggering 23 world records were set in Beijing during the height of the rubber-suit era, and 43 records were established at the 2009 World Championships in Rome, leading to strict new regulations on swimsuits. Since then, world records have been set at a more modest pace, but Olympic years typically see a push to break records.
Nine world records were set in London in 2012, eight in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and six at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games, which took place in an empty arena due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The lack of fans hasn’t been an issue in Paris, where the energy of a packed arena has provided an extra boost to the swimmers.
“It doesn’t matter about times,” said Chalmers. “It’s about getting your hand on the wall first and winning the race. The times are never really all that remembered.”
Source: ABC News
