Olympic-size swimming pool Olympic-size swimming pool An Olympic-size swimming pool conforms to regulated dimensions, large enough for international competition. This type of swimming pool is used in the Olympic Games, where the race course is in length, typically referred to as "long course", distinguishing it from "short course" which applies to competitions in pools that are in length. If touch panels are used in competition, then the distance between touch panels should be either 25 or 50 metres to qualify for FINA recognition. This means that Olympic pools are generally oversized, to accommodate touch panels used in competition. An Olympic-size swimming pool is
Long-distance swimming Long-distance swimming Long-distance swimming is distinguished from ordinary swimming in that the distances involved are longer than are typically swum in pool competitions. When a given swim calls more on endurance than on outright speed, it is the more likely to be considered a long-distance swim. Long-distance swims, however, may take place in pools, such as the 1st official 24 hours World Championship in 1976 won by Peppo Biscarini with a record of 83.7 km (24 hour swims in a 50 m-long pool) or the current 25 meter pool world record of 2008 Olympic gold medalist Maarten van der Weijden