The site of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials in Long Beach, Calif., is being used as a COVID-19 vaccination super site, with the rollout beginning Tuesday.
The super site, like the Trials, is located in the parking lot adjacent to the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center.
Long Beach Post reporter Kelly Puente notes that the city has “lots of experience” setting up mass events in the parking lot.
Long Beach today is in the process of setting up its COVID vaccine super site in the Convention Center parking lot. Staff will give out the first shot at 10 am on Tuesday. Hopefully it will run smoothly since LB has lots of experience setting up mass events in this parking lot. pic.twitter.com/3m3DHM7Fsr
— Kelly Puente (@KellyPuenteLB) January 18, 2021
On Tuesday, Puente reported on Twitter that the site is currently vaccinating people aged 65 and over, healthcare workers and other essential workers, and that approximately 1,800 people are expected to receive the vaccine on the opening day.
About 1,800 people are expected to come through the Long Beach Convention Center today for COVID vaccines. Appointments are full for now, the city can only book about 1 week out depending on vaccine shipments. pic.twitter.com/u1LCqiO1HS
— Kelly Puente (@KellyPuenteLB) January 19, 2021
In July of 2004, a temporary facility called the “Charter All Digital Aquatic Center” was built for the Olympic Trials in the parking lot, with two temporary 50m pools and temporary stands built for the event. You can check out some images of the site on the Myrtha Pools website here.
Notably, world records were set in that parking lot by Michael Phelps, Ian Crocker, Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen and Amanda Beard.
Additionally, the CHI Health Center, host of the 2008, 2012, 2016 and the upcoming 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, is under consideration to be the site of vaccine distribution in Omaha, Neb.
It’s a parking lot! It’s a bit of a stretch to make this into a “swimming story” relevant to swimswam 🙂