With Tokyo winning the Bid to Host the 2020 Olympics, questions were raised as to where the athletes were going to swim. Tokyo already has the Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Center. The current pool seats 3,635 spectators, and although it is a great pool, it is not big enough to host swimming at the Olympic Games.
Swimming has become one of the biggest spectator events at the Olympic Games. It has the second most events of any sport, just behind the Athletics events. The London Aquatic Center in 2012 had room for 17,500 spectators. The Beijing National Aquatics Center in 2008 had room for 17,000 spectators. Rio 2016, has big plans for their aquatic center as well, following suit with room for 18,000 spectators at the Olympics Aquatics Stadium.
In order to keep up with the demands of Olympic swim fans, Tokyo 2020 is planning to raise the bar even further. The Olympic Aquatic Centre that will be built for the Olympic Games in 2020 will hold 20,000 spectators!!! The Olympic Aquatic Centre will host the Swimming, Diving, and Synchronized Swimming events. After the games are finished, the organizers plan to keep the pool, but remodel the building, leaving room for only 5,000 spectators. The Olympic Aquatic Centre, owned by TMG, will be used, like the existing Tatsumi International Swimming Center, for various swimming competitions such as the Japanese National Championships, Japan Open, and other international swimming competition events. The pool will be open to local residents for recreational swimming as well.
London did the same thing with the London Aquatic Center after the 2012 Olympic Games that Tokyo plans to do. London remodeled the building to have room for 2,500 instead of 17,500. The London Aquatic Center should open again to the public in 2014.
I’m just happy if swimming draws 20K enthusiastic spectators in the stands, of course, but can you see anything from the farthest seats? Probably you don’t even need to and it is atmosphere that is important.
Swimming will always fill an Olympic or Trials venue once every 4 years. The trick is to fill World championships, US Nationals, Pan Pacs, etc on the odd years and get more mainstream network coverage. It is simply not happening yet.
Exciting! VERY VERY exciting! I remember when the Sydney pool would be shown filled to the rafters with spectators for of all things…a swimming meet! LOL LOL LOL The basketball legend, John Havlicek was at that pool for the 2000 Olympics and had been quoted saying he would never forget the noise and energy generated inside the natatorium. Can’t wait to eventually see the Tokyo facility with 20,000 seats!
Absolutely. I was in attendance for a few of the swimming nights in Sydney 2000, and the energy, excitement and noise level of the crowd, particularly when Australia won the men’s 4x100m relay, was simply on another level to any other sporting event I have ever witnessed. Basketball, football, hockey games don’t compare. The Japanese are also very enthusiastic about swimming, and you can bet that I’ll do anything to make sure I’m a part of the insane crowd come 2020.