Zero World Records have been broken at the 2024 Paris Olympics through two nights of competition in the pool. The last time that no World Record was broken after just one day of competition was 1992, but here we are, entering night three with zero.
The topic of a “slow pool” continues after most of the top times in prelims were slower than they were in Tokyo during day 1 prelims. Then, in day 2 prelims, only two men were under the 1:46 mark after 10 had done so in Tokyo and four were under that mark in Rio.
The men’s 100 breaststroke on night 2 was also much slower than it was in Tokyo. Seven out of the eight finalists were under the 59-second mark in Tokyo while zero swam under that mark last night as a 59.03 by Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi won gold.
“The time wasn’t fast for anybody; we spoke to each other about it,” Nicolo Martinenghi of Italy said after winning gold in the men’s 100 breaststroke.
Ken Ono, who is a mathematician at the University of Virginia and works with Todd DeSorbo, told Yahoo Sports, “The pool is fast compared to your neighborhood swim club. However, it is not ideal for record setting. The shallow depth is a primary reason. I have heard from a few competitors that they have been forced to (slightly) modify their dives off the blocks.”
The pool in Paris is shallower than the pool was in Tokyo three years ago. The two 50-meter pools in the Paris La Defense Arena are about 2.15 meters or 7 feet. This is over two and a half feet and 31.5 inches, to be exact, less than the pool at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as that pool was about 9 feet, 8 inches deep.
Sophie Hansson of Sweden spoke of her feelings about the pool to Swedish-based Dagens Nyheter saying, “It feels good in the swimming, and I can’t answer what it is that makes it not go faster.” Hansson swam a 1:06.96 for 13th in semifinals of the women’s 100 breast and did not advance to the final. That was over a second off her lifetime best and national record time of a 1:05.66.
slow pool makes WR’s at Paris that much more impressive. Pan’s 46.4 100 free in this pool–he could be sub 46 in a fast pool, better turn (head bob) and more development. Reminds me that one CAN do phenomenal times in a shallow pool–Jonty Skinner lowered Jim Montgomery’s 49.99 WR, set 3 weeks earlier at the Montreal games, by .55 seconds going 49.44 in a 3 1/2 foot (~ 1.06 meter) deep pool in Philadelphia. Skinner, a South African, could not participate in Montreal and what a statement he made that day!
This is the Olympic Games and not some provincial competition. And what do we see?
A pool built by amateurs. A river with a strong current and disgusting feces in which to swim for 10 kilometers.
Get well soon, IOC. Get well soon, Paris.
Swimswam, could we get an analysis of the average of the top ten times in the world prior to the Olympics and the average final/semifinal times at the Olympics for the past few Olympic cycles? Would be interesting to get some data on this
Come on Paris. We’re not asking you to reconstruct the Mariana Trench here.
These races are so close. 0.8 sec between 1st to 7th in the men’s 200 free. All those swimmers bunched up – That has to be a factor as well
The depth definitely has an effect. But nothing the swimmers can do about it now. Ironically many complained in the last two Olympic cycles that Tokyo would be slow because it was in the late mornings and Rio because it was late in the evening.
Guess we’re gonna have a 5 meter deep pool in LA
I wish.
But 3m is all we ask for.
Yes.