Olympic Pool
Courts & Fields · 9 specs
Direct Answer
Official competition swimming pools are regulated by World Aquatics (formerly FINA Swimming Facilities Rules). An Olympic-standard long-course pool measures exactly 50.020 m in length (50.00 m with touchpad timing plates installed), 25.0 m in width across 10 lanes (8 active lanes of 2.50 m with two 2.50 m outer wave-buffer lanes), and a uniform depth of 2.0–3.0 m. Water temperature is held strictly at 25.0–28.0 °C (77–82.4 °F).
Source: World Aquatics (FINA) Facilities Rules Section 2: Swimming Pools for Olympic Games · Last reviewed Aug 28, 2026
Specs
| Pool Length (with Touchpads) | 50.00 m (164.04 ft exact between touchpads) |
| Pool Width | 25.00 m (82.02 ft) |
| Total Lane Count | 10 Lanes (Lanes 1–8 racing, Lanes 0 and 9 wave buffers) |
| Individual Lane Width | 2.50 m (8.20 ft per lane) |
| Standard Competition Depth | 2.00–3.00 m (6.56–9.84 ft uniform depth) |
| Total Water Volume | 2,500,000–3,750,000 liters (~660,000–990,000 US gallons) |
| Water Temperature Regulation | 25.0–28.0 °C (77.0–82.4 °F strictly enforced) |
| Touchpad Thickness | 10.0 mm (0.39 in per electronic sensor board) |
| Starting Block Height | 0.50–0.75 m above the water surface with 10° tilt |
Wave Attenuation & Anti-Turbulence Engineering
- 3-Metre Depth Standard: World Aquatics mandates a minimum depth of 2.0 metres (3.0 metres recommended for Olympic finals) to prevent downward vortex currents from reflecting off the bottom floor back up into the swimmers' slipstreams.
- Wave-Quenching Lane Lines: Lane dividing ropes feature rotating 10–15 cm plastic turbine discs strung along stainless steel tension cables that spin freely to absorb and dissipate lateral surface chop before it can cross into adjacent racing lanes.