Trials pool won't make waves
Omaha World-Herald newsroom
BY RICH KAIPUST
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Before getting technical, Trevor Tiffany said one element stands above the rest in the making of a "fast" swimming pool. "Fast swimmers," he said. Fair enough. Plenty of those will be coming for the U.S. Olympic Trials starting June 29. That established, Tiffany confirmed that the water and facility won't at all inhibit speed during the eight-day meet a Qwest Center Omaha. Here are some reasons, provided by Tiffany, the president of Myrtha Pools USA, and Harold Cliff, chief operating officer for the U.S. Trials:
• A solid depth that's uniform through the pool (2.58 meters, or roughly nine feet). Some have varying depths, and shallower waters are less ideal.
• Ten lanes when only eight are used. Plus 2½-meter-wide lanes — allowing more space for water to go out to the lane ropes — when smaller pools might only be at 2 meters apiece.
• Lane ropes that are 6 inches, not 4 inches, and also brand new and functioning at an optimum level. They spin, break up waves and disperse water.
• Overflow gutters on all four sides. Some older pools were built without them at end walls.
• A water circulation system that keeps the pool at a constant level and doesn't allow currents.
Other than charting times, Cliff said fans can watch the water behind a swimmer to judge if a surface is conducive to good speed.
"Anywhere from 4 to 5 meters behind the racer's feet, when they're kicking, you'll see flat water," he said. "And that'll give you a good indication of just how well things are going." The pool was scheduled to be filled today, one week before the Mutual of Omaha Swimvitational gives the first glimpse of its potential role in potential record-breaking.
Some have speculated that 10 to 12 world marks could be in jeopardy at the U.S. Olympic Trials. "It's a great pool," Cliff said. "Myrtha builds a really good pool, and this venue, this competition pool, is state of the art. One of the advantages of temporary pools is that you can build with the most current technology." Olympic gold medalist Summer Sanders toured the Qwest Center Omaha on Wednesday in a promotional appearance for the U.S. Trials. The warmup pool in the convention center was full and the competition pool was getting its final adjustments. Sanders' assessment was that the venue could be as important as the pool come June 29. "I cannot imagine what the acoustics are going to be like in here," she said. "I've been telling people today that there's no better feeling than to be in an arena when the announcer says, 'Everyone on your feet, he's on world record pace.' I just get the chills even thinking about it right now." Sanders said even the uneducated swim fans will figure it out pretty quickly — and become a factor. She said swimmers definitely hear and respond to crowd noise, even when their heads are under water.
"Honestly, we know if we are on world-record or American-record pace because of the crowd," she said. "Or we know it's a really, really close race because of the crowd." Americans set 12 world records at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne in a temporary pool. A temporary pool also was used for the 2004 U.S. Trials in Long Beach, Calif. "I talked to a lot of people from the last Olympic Trials, and they said it was fantastic," Sanders said. Sanders looked around Qwest Center Omaha and said the energy will be emanating through the building as swimmers try to make the U.S. Olympic team. When she won two gold medals, one silver and one bronze at the 1992 Summer Games, swimming took place in an outdoor venue in Barcelona that lacked some of it. Cliff agreed that it could mean as much as the pool. "It's all about the attitude and atmosphere and the environment," he said. "As Summer was saying, the swimmers can really feel the excitement. You can feel it. This is an optimum situation."
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