We all have been watching the Olympics, and there is always one game that we are fond of, and if that is swimming, you must have thought about how many gallons of water are in an Olympic pool.
Seeing yourself as one of the Olympic swimmers, you strive hard to meet their standards so that you are ready to take part. For that, you try to follow their standard routines, procedures, rules, and regulations.
We have the legend Michael Phelps of the United States, who holds the world record with eight titles. Then we have Katie Ladecky, Mark Spitz, Kristin Otto, and many other big names when it comes to well-known swimmers in the Olympics.
Leaving aside, let’s get to know how many gallons of water we have in an Olympic pool.
Olympic swimming
An international competition on such a massive scale is nothing short of amazing. The fact that such a large competition could be held at such a high level is in itself remarkable. For as long as swimming is concerned, it must have a large pool to hold the contest. Swimming is the sport that contests the second-most Olympic medals after athletics.
Swimming at the Olympics includes:
- Freestyle
- Freestyle relay
- Open water
- Medley
- Medley relay
- Butterfly
- Backstroke
- Breaststroke
Swimmer events accounted for 35 events during the 2020 Games in Tokyo. This is how big it is. But what about the pool size? Let’s find it out.
The size of an Olympic swimming pool
It might not look as big as it is from the screen, but the pool has some pretty big dimensions. In order to qualify for the international swimming championships, competition pools have to be 25 or 50 meters (82 or 164 ft) long and at least 1.4 meters (4.4 ft) deep.
Olympic swimming pools meet all the requirements set by the International Swimming Federation by being 50 meters long, 25 meters wide, and 2 meters deep with ten lanes where the lane width is 2.5 m.
The amount of water it takes to fill an average pool
First, we will be seeing how much water an average size pool takes, and then we will compare it to how many gallons of water are required for the Olympic pool.
In order for a pool of average size to be completely filled with water, approximately 18,000 to 20,000 gallons of water need to be used.
How many gallons of water are required to fill an Olympic pool?
Where 18,000 to 20,000 gallons of water are required to fill an average size pool, the Olympic pool is much larger and will need a lot more water.
To fill the entirety of an Olympic pool with a depth of two meters and a length of fifty meters, it takes 660,000 gallons of water, or in other words, 2.5 million liters of water. If we were to fill one of these pools with a regular garden hose, it would take roughly 20 days. That’s how big it is.
Olympic pool water temperature
Besides volume, the water temperature is also an important element to look for. As for any swimmer, it is crucial to know the water temperature, and it must be feasible for swimming. Too cold or too hot, in both conditions, it’s not favorable to hold the contest.
You may set the temperature as per your ease at home, but not at the Olympics. As we inform you about the Olympic pool water temperature, you can set it at your place accordingly.
As a general guideline, the temperature of the water should be between 25 and 28 degrees Celsius or 77- and 82-degrees Fahrenheit during competitions. Although different sports demand slightly different pool temperatures, according to FINA, the international federation that handles water sports laws and regulations.
As far as Olympic pool water temperature is concerned, the water temperature lies within 25–28 °C (77 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit). Check the water temperature of your pool and see how close it is.
Conclusion
Practicing as per the standard guidelines gives you an edge on the competition day. However, for swimming, it doesn’t matter whether you are going to participate or not; following the Olympic pool standard gives a feeling of accomplishment and allows you to experience what it takes to be in the Olympic pool.
A lot depends on the pool size and the volume of the water. As we have seen, it requires as much as 660,000 gallons of water for an Olympic size pool to be filled. How big is your pool and how much water does it take to fill?