This is a list of notable swimming pools, especially full long course ones suited for Olympic competitions (with 10 lanes, just 8 used, and 2m or more deep). This also includes current and past pools with historical or architectural importance. It is not intended to include hot springs pools except where actual swimming, as opposed to bathing or wading, is possible.
Organized swimming as a competitive sport seems to have emerged in England in the 1830s, after the first indoor swimming pool of some type, at St. George's Baths, was opened in 1828. Swimming was included in the first Olympics of modern times, in Athens in 1896, with competition held in the Bay of Zea at Piraeus, about from the stadium where many events were held. In the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, swimming was in the Seine. The 1904 Summer Olympics, the only Olympic games where the yard was the measure for setting racing distances, was held at a lake in Forest Park, in St. Louis, Missouri. The first Olympic swimming pool was used in the 1908 Summer Olympics, in London, outdoors in the infield of White City Stadium (demolished in 1985).
In modern times, an Olympic pool may be used for a competition, and then moved to be used elsewhere. This what happened with pools at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium and the Maria Lenk Aquatic Center of the 2016 Summer Olympics: these were transformed into four 50 meter pools in Manaus (4000 km west of Rio), Salvador de Bahia (1600 km north), Guarantiguetà (250 km west) and Fortaleza de São João (20 km away within Rio). And for the 2028 Summer Olympics, a baseball stadium in Los Angeles will be modified into a temporary aquatics venue to host the swimming, synchronized swimming and diving events.
World Aquatics (Previously FINA) sets standards for swimming pools used in international competitions. Its requirements are not met by many "Olympic-sized" pools; for example of the 15 or more Olympic-sized pools in the Philippines, only the one at New Clark City Aquatics Center is FINA-certified. FINA's requirement that a pool must be 2 meters deep (with 3 meters recommended) is met by some pools elsewhere being adjustable in depth at their shallow ends, such for the competition pool in Tromsø, Norway.
Specialization of Kenya, other East African countries in track, of Cuba in boxing, has been attributed by some to their lack of investment in pools and other athletic facilities. There have been numerous calls within countries for Olympic level facilities, e.g. Kenya below, even in developed nations such as Canada, where the capital region around Ottawa is deemed to be under-served. Just as it is hard for a tropical nation to develop what's needed to be competitive in bobsled, so is it difficult for many nations to afford the upfront and high continuing costs of Olympic pools, given other needs.
In recent years, there has been possibility for some third world countries to obtain needed investment through China's Belt and Road program. "Chinese construction companies also helped the Government of Kenya build a US$52 million sports stadium with a seating capacity of 60,000 people, an Olympic-size swimming pool, and a modern gymnasium to host the fourth All-Africa games ..." Plan for initiative to build an Olympic stadium in Kuwait."China's Belt and Road Initiative is probably ‘the riskiest environmental venture in history’, researcher warns" June 13, 2018. Article possibly available here.
Swimming pools, worldwide, are numerous. For the facilities that have actually been used in an Olympics, see List of Olympic venues in swimming. For very large ones, see List of largest swimming pools.
Facilities by nation include:
Algeria Piscine du Complexe Olympique, Algiers, used in 2007 All-Africa Games. The 1978 All-Africa Games were also held in Algiers.
Argentina Club Universitario de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, hosted swimming events of 1951 Pan American Games
Australia Swimming and Diving Stadium (1956), now the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre in what is known as Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct in Melbourne, the aquatic centre for the 1956 Olympic Games. Its Olympic-sized pool was replaced with a parquetry floor in 1983 for use in basketball and concert events. Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, Sydney Olympic Park in Sydney, built in 1994, it hosted swimming and diving events of the 2000 Summer Olympics Brisbane Aquatic Center, in Sleeman Centre, Brisbane, was built for the 1982 Commonwealth Games. It has a 50 m indoor Olympic pool (2m depth), a 50 m outdoor Olympic pool (4m to 2m in depth), a 25 m lap pool, and a 25-metre diving pool with .5, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 m diving boards and platforms. North Sydney Olympic Pool (1936), North Sydney, designed in Inter-War Free Classical style with art deco-style decorations, hosted the swimming and diving events for the 1938 Empire Games. A 25 m indoor pool was added in 2001. Closed in 2021-22 for replacement of pool. Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, 1997, has an outdoor 50m pool, an indoor 50m pool, and a 25m lap pool. Beatty Park Aquatic Centre, North Perth, Western Australia, built for the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre was built to replace the Hobart Olympic Pool. It has a 50m Olympic pool (2m depth), and a 25-metre diving pool with 6 lanes and 5 m diving boards and platforms at lanes 5 and 3.
Belgium Stade Nautique d'Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium, built for the 1920 Summer Olympics, the first structure devoted to the aquatics events for the Summer Olympics Wezenberg Olympic Swimming Center, Antwerp, built in 1973 with a 50-meter pool and an instruction pool. A second 50-meter pool, too narrow for competitions, was completed in 2015. Nemo 33, Brussels, deep, the deepest indoor swimming pool from 2004 to 2014. In 2022, Nemo 33 is the fifth deepest swimming pool in the world
Brazil Esporte Clube Pinheiros, São Paulo, hosted swimming events of the 1963 Pan American Games Fortaleza de São João in Rio de Janeiro was to get the main Olympic Stadium pool of the 2016 Summer Olympics. That pool is 50m x 25m x 3m in size." Manaus "The water polo pool (14x25x3 meters), which sat just outside of the permanent Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, was moved to Manaus and expanded into a 50 meter pool," "the water polo pool at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre will be turned into a 50m pool in the Amazonian city of Manaus." The Water Polo pool (14x25x3 meters), installed during the Games just outside the Maria Lenk Aquatic Centre was to be moved to Manaus, where it would become a 50-meter pool. Swimming Olympic Centre of Bahia, Salvador de Bahia, moved in April 2017 from the grounds of the 2016 Rio Olympics in Rio de Janeiro Swimming Olympic Centre of Bahia, also referred to as Aquatics Sports Centre of SUDESB. The facility will eventually include two pools – the main competition pool and" "This particular pool is one of two matching 50m x 25m x 2m deep pools from the Parque dos Atletas – the training ground for many Olympic athletes prior to competition. Its twin is destined for a military base in Guarantigueta, near São Paulo, and will be used for military training and competitions."
Canada 50 m pools in Canada, from west to east, include:
British Columbia: Vancouver Aquatic Centre, West End, Vancouver, a City of Vancouver facility, has a 50 m pool, and has 1m and 3m diving boards and a diving tower with 5 m, 7.5 m, and 10 m height platforms.
Alberta: Kinsmen Aquatic Centre (1976) of Kinsmen Sports Centre, Edmonton, built to serve the 1978 Commonwealth Games
Manitoba: Pan Am Pool, Winnipeg indoor swimming facility built for the 1967 Pan American Games
Ontario: Toronto Aquatics Centre, Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (2014), Toronto, Ontario, built for the 2015 Pan American Games has two Olympic sized swimming pools and a diving well Donald D. Summerville Olympic Pool, at Woodbine Beach, Toronto and East York, has an elevated 50 m Olympic size pool overlooking Lake Ontario, a 25 m training pool and a separate diving pool with 5 and 10 metre diving platforms. It was completed in 1963. Etobicoke Olympium in Etobicoke, has an 8 lane, 50 meter pool, and a 25-meter training pool. It also has diving towers attached to the competition. The building was built in 1975 and renovated in 2014 or 2015 for the 2015 Pan Am Games. Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion, outdoor pool along Lakeshore Boulevard West in Toronto Markham Pan Am Centre, has an Olympic size pool, and was opened in November 2015 Ontario: Ottawa Nepean Sportsplex (1971), Ottawa, owned by City of Ottawa, " has a 50 m Olympic pool with diving towers and springboards, and a 25 m family pool Montpetit Hall's pool (well before 1971), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, "lacks spectator space" Carleton University's pool (well before 1971), Ottawa only has six lanes
Ontario: Guelph Victoria Road Recreation Center, City of Guelph, has a 50 m pool and a 25 m swimming pool University of Guelph has a 25 m pool
Quebec: Montreal: Montreal Olympic Pool, in base of Montreal Tower, Montreal, built for the 1976 Summer Olympics Nova Scotia: Halifax Dalplex, located at Dalhousie University, Halifax, built in 1979 has an 8-lane, 50-metre indoor swimming pool.
Chile San Alfonso del Mar, Algarrobo, Chile, saltwater lagoon which is world's largest pool
China Beijing National Aquatics Centre, Olympic Green in Beijing. Built for the 2008 Summer Olympics, it has a main pool, an Olympic "demonstration" pool, and a training pool, as well as a water park area (added in 2010).
Congo Kintele Aquatic Complex, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, host to the swimming events of the 2015 African Games
Croatia Sports Park Mladost, in Zagreb, on the embankment of the Sava River, has an Olympic-size swimming pool The Utrine sports center in Novi Zagreb has a newly opened indoor Olympic-size pool. Recreational swimmers can enjoy a smaller-size indoor swimming pool in Daničićeva Street, Zagreb
Cuba Hotel Nacional de Cuba had a rectangular swimming pool that may have been Olympic-sized Copacabana sea water pool
Dominican Republic Centro Olímpico Juan Pablo Duarte, in area of Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium, Santo Domingo, hosted swimming events of 2003 Pan American Games.
Egypt venue unknown, Cairo's hosting of the 1991 All-Africa Games
Finland Helsinki Swimming Stadium, Helsinki, designed and partially built for the (cancelled) 1940 Olympic Games, completed in 1947, and later hosted the swimming events of the 1952 Summer Olympics.
France Piscine des Tourelles, Paris, aquatics venue for the 1924 Summer Olympics.
Germany
Olympiapark Schwimmstadion Berlin, Reich Sportsfeld, Berlin, which hosted the 1936 Summer Olympics's swimming and diving competitions. Olympia Schwimmhalle, Olympiapark (Munich), Munich, which hosted swimming and diving of the 1972 Summer Olympics. Müller’sche Volksbad (c.1900), Munich, an Art Nouveau building with 30-meter pool (former men's pool) and 18-meter pool (former women's pool).
Greece Olympic-sized pool of the Athens Olympic Aquatic Centre (c.1991, expanded c.2004), Athens Olympic Sports Complex, used in the 2004 Summer Olympics. There were complaints at the Olympics that the competition pool, outdoors, was too exposed to the hot sun; since then a roof has apparently enclosed the pool stadium.
Hungary List of swimming pools in Hungary
India Mahatma Gandhi Swimming Pool, Dadar West, Mumbai, has an Olympic-sized outdoor pool with 10 lanes, and a diving pool with 1m and 3m boards, 5m, 7.5m and 10m platforms. Kamla Nehru Park, Gurgaon was to get one, as of 2018 Padukone Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence, Bangalore SPM Swimming Pool Complex (formerly known as Talkatora Swimming Pool), New Delhi Nerul Gymkhana, Nerul, Navi Mumbai has an olympic sized pool.
Ireland List of long course swimming pools in the Republic of Ireland
Italy