Olympic-size swimming pool
Standard pool for Olympic and World Championship swimming events.
An Olympic-size swimming pool meets the length, width, and depth standards set by World Aquatics (formerly FINA) for use in the Summer Olympics and the World Aquatics Championships. Other pool events—like diving, synchronized swimming, and water polo—have their own size rules. For lesser competitions, the breadth and depth requirements are less strict, but any “long course” event must have a course exactly 50 meters long (164 feet 0.5 inches). This differs from “short course” events, which take place in pools that are 25 meters (82 feet) long, or 75 feet in the United States. When touch pads are used in competition, the measured distance runs between the pads at each end, so the pool itself is usually built slightly larger to account for the pads’ thickness.
The term “Olympic-size swimming pool” is also used informally as a unit of volume for rough comparisons to other large objects or volumes. Because there is no upper limit on depth, it is not a precise definition. The volume is roughly on the order of 1 megaliter (ML). Some style guides warn against calling any fairly large pool “Olympic-size,” as that can be an exaggeration.
**Specifications**
World Aquatics specifies that an Olympic-size pool must have two spaces 2.5 meters (8 feet 2 inches) wide outside lanes 1 and 8—effectively two empty lanes. The 50-meter length is measured between the touch pads at each lane’s end, if pads are used. If starting blocks are installed, the pool must be at least 1.35 meters (4.4 feet) deep from 1 meter (3 feet 3 inches) from the end to at least 6 meters (19 feet 8 inches) from the end. Elsewhere, the minimum depth is 1 meter (3 feet 3 inches). For the Olympic Games or World Championships, the minimum depth rises to 2 meters (6 feet 7 inches). The Water Cube pool used in the 2008 Olympics was 3 meters (9 feet 10 inches) deep, while the temporary pool used in 2024 was only 2.2 meters (7 feet 3 inches)—a depth that commentators believed led to slower race times.
**Ten-lane pools**
At its 2009 Congress, FINA approved rules allowing 10-lane courses as an alternative to the traditional 8-lane setup. This 10-lane version of the Olympic-sized pool first appeared at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Before that, Olympic pools had 8 lanes and a depth of about seven feet—now the minimum requirement. Twenty-five world records were set in that Beijing pool, though this is larg
- Length
- 50 metres (164 ft 0.5 in) between touch pads
- Minimum depth (Olympics/World Championsh
- 2 metres (6 ft 7 in)
- Minimum depth (other competitions)
- 1 metre (3 ft 3 in)
- Number of lanes (standard)
- 8 lanes plus two empty spaces 2.5 m wide outside lanes 1 and 8
- Number of lanes (alternative)
- 10 lanes
- Volume order of magnitude
- 1 megaliter (ML)
Lore & Background
World Aquatics specifications require a length of 50 metres between touch pads, with two spaces 2.5 m wide outside lanes 1 and 8. If starting blocks are used, a minimum depth of 1.35 metres is required from 1 metre to 6 metres from the pool end; elsewhere the minimum is 1 metre. For Olympic Games or World Championships, the minimum depth increases to 2 metres. The Water Cube pool used for the 2008 Olympics was 3 metres deep, while the temporary pool used in 2024 was only 2.2 metres, which commentators suggested made for slower race times.
Reader's Guide
The Olympic-size swimming pool serves as the standard for elite long-course competition, distinct from short-course pools of 25 metres. Its design has evolved: at FINA's 2009 Congress, rules were approved for 10-lane courses as an alternative to the traditional 8-lane course. The 10-lane version debuted at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, where twenty-five world records were broken, though this is more heavily attributed to polyurethane 'supersuits' later banned by FINA. The increased lane count provides a buffer lane to absorb waves, and greater depth helps dissipate water churn, reducing hydrodynamic drag. As a unit of volume, it is used colloquially but lacks a specific definition due to no maximum depth limit; some style guides caution against hyperbole in describing pools as 'Olympic-size[d]'.
Did You Know?
- An Olympic-size swimming pool has an order of magnitude of 1 megaliter (ML).
- The temporary pool used in 2024 was 2.2 metres deep, which commentators suggested made for slower race times.
- Twenty-five world records were broken at the 2008 Beijing pool, attributed largely to polyurethane 'supersuits' later banned by FINA.
- If touch pads are used, the pool is generally oversized to allow for the thickness of the pads.
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