The demolition of the old Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool wrapped up last month, completing a delicate 4-month process that hit several unexpected challenges, but the way has finally and fully been cleared for a new pool to be constructed on the same site.
Above, MBI Media has boiled the entire demolition down to a three-minute timelapse.
Belmont is missed by the water polo community, as well. It hosted countless NCAA and CIF championships.
The same is true for the WAC in The Woodlands Texas; long tradition of excellence in USA Club Swimming. They hosted many big meets for Gulf and Texas Swimming, as well as several national meets. Many old swimmers can remember the facility!
Now the site is filled with Apartment buildings!
SwimFan2 – I raced at the WAC a few times in high school, and have fond memories.
But…I don’t think anyone is missing WAC with the new Conroe ISD facility that replaced its hole, and when the Olympic Trials pool lands in the Woodlands in a few years, the WAC will be all but forgotten. Those will be two truly world-class facilities for the 21st-century.
Gone, but never forgotten. If anyone is interested, they can see Belmont Plaza in the Tennessee highlight reel here on SwimSwam. The 1978 NCAAs were held at Belmont. Weird to watch knowing that the pool is gone.
Weren’t the 1979 SC Nationals held at this pool? If so, it’s where the great Tracy Caulkins made her one and only national appearance in the 500 free, demolishing the AR with her 4:36.25, a time that took 11 years and the great Janet Evans to break. Perhaps it was a different pool, but I thought it was this one. Just some useless trivia.
The 79 Nationals were held at the East Los Angeles College Pool.