It’s been almost two weeks since the swimming competitions wrapped up at the Paris 2024 Olympics, with the closing ceremony taking place on August 12.
This year’s games sparked a lot of buzz, partly due to the questionable depth of the pool at the Defense Arena, where world records were slow to fall. Visible waves more prominent than normal in pools of this stature led spectators wondering if they might be contributing to slower times.
It got me thinking: are there any “slow” pools where world records have still been set? And how deep are the pools where current records were made?
Below, I’ve put together a list of current records, including the depth of the pools they were set in. Like we’ve talked about before, most Olympic pools are around 3 meters deep, and most of the current world records were set in pools like that. There is a bit of a feedback bias here – most big meets choose deeper pools for competition, and big meets are where the most World Records are set. I still think it’s interesting to review.
ARE THERE WORLD RECORDS SET IN SHALLOW POOLS?
Absolutely. Aside from the four world records set during the Paris Olympics, there are three other records made in pools with depths of less than 3 meters. One of these is the men’s 50m freestyle world record, which, while set with a super suit, was made by Cesar Cielo in his home pool at the Pinheiros Club in São Paulo. That pool’s depth ranges from 2.10m to 2.30m.
If we leave out super-suited records, two stand out: Sarah Sjostrom’s 50m butterfly and Ariarne Titmus’s 200m freestyle.
One theory floated around by an Ivy League-educated Olympic gold medalist is that water depth is less important in permanent pools than in temporary pools, because of less cavitation of the body of the structure creating less waves.
Sjöstrom set her record 10 years ago during the Swedish National Championships on July 5, 2014, in Borås at the Borås Simarena, which has a depth of only 2 meters. This record is also the longest-standing (excluding Liu Zige’s “unbeatable” 200m butterfly) among women’s records.
More recently, Ariarne Titmus set a new 200m freestyle record just a month and a half before the Paris Games. On July 12, 2024, during the Australian Olympic Trials in Brisbane, Titmus clocked in at 1:52.23, beating the record her teammate Mollie O’Callaghan had set at the Fukuoka World Championships in 2023. This record came from the Queensland Aquatic Centre at the Sleeman Sport Complex, which also has a depth of 2 meters.
Interestingly, in this same Brisbane pool during the June Trials, Kaylee McKeown (who holds the world record in the women’s 200m backstroke) swam the second-fastest time ever, just 0.16 seconds off her record of 2:03.14.
These examples show us that pool depth isn’t everything when it comes to breaking records. A record that’s lasted a decade was set in a 2-meter deep pool, just as a record set weeks before the Paris Games was made in a pool shallower than the one in Paris.
SO, WAS THIS THE SLOWEST OLYMPICS EVER?
Not really. Looking at Olympic and world records from past Games, the number of records set in Paris isn’t all that different from Rio 2016. Paris saw four world records, while Tokyo 2021 had six, but keep in mind only three years have passed since then.
When we consider both Olympic and world records, Paris saw 21 new records across 20 events. Tokyo had 21 records across 33 events, while Rio had 23 records across just 12 events.
OLYMPIC AND WORLD RECORDS SET AT RECENT GAMES:
- Paris 2024: 21 records (20 events), 4 WR
- Tokyo 2021: 33 records (21 events), 6 WR
- Rio 2016: 23 records (12 events), 8 WR (7 events)
Interestingly, the most “disappointing” performances seemed to happen during the early finals, like the podium for the 100m breaststroke, which took place on day two. Meanwhile, the best performances, including world records, came in the final days, such as Pan Zhanle‘s record on day 5 or the women’s medley relay on day 8.
I’ll leave these thoughts here for now, waiting for more answers—many of which have already come from the Olympic champions pushing boundaries once again.
LIST OF RECORDS WITH POOL DEPTHS
WOMEN’S WORLD RECORD
| Event | SWIMMER | TIME | LOCATION | DEPTH | DATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50m freestyle | Sarah Sjostrom | 23.61 | Fukuoka, Japan | 3m | 29 July 2023 |
| 100m freestyle | Sarah Sjostrom | 51.71 | Budapest, Hungary | 3m | 23 July 2017 |
| 200m freestyle | Ariarne Titmus | 1:52.23 | Brisbane, Australia | 2m | 12 June 2024 |
| 400m freestyle | Ariarne Titmus | 3:55.38 | Fukuoka, Japan | 3m | 23 July 2023 |
| 800m freestyle | Katie Ledecky | 8:04.79 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 3m | 12 August 2016 |
| 1500m freestyle | Katie Ledecky | 15:20.48 | Indianapolis, United States | 3m | 16 May 2018 |
| 50m backstroke | Kaylee McKeown | 26.86 | Budapest, Hungary | 3m | 20 October 2023 |
| 100m backstroke | Regan Smith | 57.13 | Indianapolis, United States | 3m | 18 June 2024 |
| 200m backstroke | Kaylee McKeown | 2:03.14 | Sydney, Australia | 3m | 10 March 2023 |
| 50m breaststroke | Ruta Meilutyte | 29.16 | Fukuoka, Japan | 3m | 30 July 2023 |
| 100m breaststroke | Lilly King | 1:04.13 | Budapest, Hungary | 3m | 25 July 2017 |
| 200m breaststroke | Evgeniia Chikunova | 2:17.55 | Kazan, Russia | 3m | 21 April 2023 |
| 50m butterfly | Sarah Sjostrom | 24.43 | Borås, Sweden | 2m | 5 July 2014 |
| 100m butterfly | Gretchen Walsh | 55.18 | Indianapolis, United States | 3m | 15 June 2024 |
| 200m butterfly | Liu Zige | 2:01.81 | Jinan, China | supersuit, pool’s depth unknown | 21 October 2009 |
| 200m individual medley | Katinka Hosszu | 2:06.12 | Kazan, Russia | 3m | 3 August 2015 |
| 400m individual medley | Summer McIntosh | 4:24.38 | Toronto, Canada | 3m | 16 May 2024 |
| 4 × 100 m freestyle relay | Australia | 3:27.96 | Fukuoka, Japan | 3m | 23 July 2023 |
| 4 x 200 m freestyle relay | Australia | 7:37.50 | Fukuoka, Japan | 3m | 27 July 2023 |
| 4 x 100 m medley relay | United States | 3:49.63 | Paris, France | 2.15m | 4 August 2024 |
MEN’S WORLD RECORD
| Event | SWIMMER | TIME | LOCATION | DEPTH | DATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50m freestyle | Cesar Cielo | 20.91 | São Paulo, Brazil | supersuit, 2.10-2.30m | 18 December 2009 |
| 100m freestyle | Pan Zhanle | 46.40 | Paris, France | 2.15m | 31 July 2024 |
| 200m freestyle | Paul Biedermann | 1:42.00 | Rome, Italy | supersuit, 3m | 28 July 2009 |
| 400m freestyle | Paul Biedermann | 3:40.07 | Rome, Italy | supersuit, 3m | 26 July 2009 |
| 800m freestyle | Zhang Lin | 7:32.12 | Rome, Italy | supersuit, 3m | 29 July 2009 |
| 1500m freestyle | Bobby Finke | 14:30.67 | Paris, France | 2.15m | 4 August 2024 |
| 50m backstroke | Kliment Kolesnikov | 23.55 | Kazan, Russia | 3m | 27 July 2023 |
| 100m backstroke | Thomas Ceccon | 51.60 | Budapest, Hungary | 3m | 20 June 2022 |
| 200m backstroke | Aaron Peirsol | 1:51.92 | Rome, Italy | supersuit, 3m | 30 July 2009 |
| 50m breaststroke | Adam Peaty | 25.95 | Budapest, Hungary | 3m | 25 July 2017 |
| 100m breaststroke | Adam Peaty | 56.88 | Gwangju, South Korea | 3m | 21 July 2019 |
| 200m breaststroke | Qin Haiyang | 2:05.48 | Fukuoka, Japan | 3m | 28 July 2023 |
| 50m butterfly | Andriy Govorov | 22.27 | Rome, Italy | 3m | 1 July 2018 |
| 100m butterfly | Caeleb Dressel | 49.45 | Tokyo, Japan | 3.02m | 30 July 2021 |
| 200m butterfly | Kristof Milak | 1:50.34 | Budapest, Hungary | 3m | 21 June 2022 |
| 200m individual medley | Ryan Lochte | 1:54.00 | Shanghai, China | 3m | 28 July 2011 |
| 400m individual medley | Leon Marchand | 4:02.50 | Fukuoka, Japan | 3m | 23 July 2023 |
| 4 × 100 m freestyle relay | United States | 3:08.24 | Beijing, China | supersuit, 3m | 11 August 2008 |
| 4 x 200 m freestyle relay | United States | 6:58.55 | Rome, Italy | supersuit, 3m | 31 July 2009 |
| 4 x 100 m medley relay | United States | 3:26.78 | Tokyo, Japan | 3.02m | 31 July 2021 |
MIXED WORLD RECORDS
| 4 x 100 m mixed freestyle relay | Australia | 3:18.83 | Fukuoka, Japan | 3m | 27 July 2023 |
| 4 x 100 m mixed medley relay | United States | 3:37.43 | Paris, France | 2.15m | 3 August 2024 |
Pool depth is indeed a factor, but I think it’s so much more insignificant than anyone gives it credit for.
Actual training aside, there is so much relevant stuff related to the athlete’s mind and body that can influence a swim.
How did they sleep? Are they sore? What did they eat? Was the warm-up right? What is the mental attitude in the moments before the race.
Then the actual technicalities in the race itself.
Was the stroke rate perfect? The jump and breakout? How did they approach and come out of the wall(s)?
Just one of these details can take tenths out of a swim.
You would need to replicate all the other… Read more »
How deep can we go?
Does World Aquatics have a max limit ?
The breastsrokers were slow because they are all on the downside of their careers, the men and the women. Qin let the moment get to him, he was good on the relays.
Some of the Americans were slow. Trials was a bigger meet and they didn’t bounce back up.
Short was sick. Others had Covid too.
Bobby said the pool was probably fine and he set a WR.
The pool was slow. But it wasn’t the entirety of the problem.
Kate Douglass is on the downside of her career?
No and she went a best time in the 200 breast, furthering my point.
That theory doesn’t really hold up to scrutiny. Only Peaty, Kamminga and Fink are in the twilight of their careers. Qin, Imoudu and Martinenghi are all 25, Matzerath is 24, Corbeau is 23. That’s around peak age. There is no reason for Qin to be so slow during all three rounds; he should have been right around Fukuoka his times. Peaty might be past his prime, but he has already been 57.9 this year, no reason why he shouldn’t be able to replicate in Paris when he never had trouble peaking at the right time before. Corbeau should still be dropping considerable time, yet he was around his in-season times through all rounds, and only went a small PB in… Read more »
I think you and I are on the same page. I concluded with “the pool is slow.” And I think it was. But I think the event pointed to the most – the 100 breast – made it appear slower than it was. Peaty, Kamminga, Fink, Smith and King had much more than what they showed. And I don’t know if there is any man besides Qin who has a 57 in them right now and I don’t think any woman at the Olympics has a 1:04 in them. It was going to be a slow event, the pool made a slow event really slow…
I understood from the athletes that the difficulty lay at the beginning of the meet, where they were adjusting to a food shortage and the uncomforts of the olympic village. The situation got better as the meet went on.
The World records were broken by those that got out fast! Ahead of the chop maybe. Also maybe the big underwater events were slower. Maybe the swimmers were thinking strategy and pacing rather than speed. But as it has been said the Olympic Gold is way more important than the WR. So maybe not the depth so much. Although psychologically it definitely had an impact.
Cameron McEvoy, a physicist, would be the person to ask about the optimal depth for a “fast” pool.
Cameron McEvoy is not a physicist. He merely has a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics.
It was long ago & not at the 1976 Olympics, but Jonty Skinner broke the 100m free WR in a Philadelphia parks & recreation department pool that was 3 feet deep at the starting end & not deeper than 5 feet for 35 of the 50 meters.
I believe that record stood until Rowdy Gaines lowered it in 1981 at a post-NCAAs meet time trial in Austin
Knocked off over a half second, after Montgomery was the first man to go sub 50.
Was he one of the first to wear goggles?
Here’s the video of that swim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig4dJiVNxVs
49 3 no goggles, no pedal on starting block, no suit, no underwaters, 3ft pool. That is actually fast
If it was a slow pool, everyone swam in the same conditions
I don’t buy this part of it at all.
If the pool was effecting athletes there is no reason to believe it was effecting all of them in all lanes equally.
You could actually see that it wasn’t affecting them equally. Especially in the first few days you had guys placing 5th and lower in the final swimming PBs and the top finishers were way off their times from weeks before.
These are two different things. Everyone did swim in the same conditions, but these conditions may have impacted swimmers differently. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. Any conditions you choose can benefit some competitors and harm others, it’s the nature of any sport