It’s almost time for the 2024 Olympics to begin, and not very many events come close to the excitement of watching the best swimmers and divers plunge and jump in the pool as they showcase their incredible aquatic talents on the world’s biggest stage.
The swimming portion of the Olympics will start each day at 5 a.m. ET beginning on Saturday, July 27. All swimming events will culminate on Saturday, Aug. 4 except for the two-day marathon swimming competition, which will run from Aug. 8-9.
This year’s two-day marathon swimming event will include an open water setting. The world’s best distance swimmers will seek to cut their way through the Seine River as part of the contest.
To help prepare you for this year's Olympics, here's everything you need to know about the size of the Olympic pool as well as where this year’s swimming and diving events will take place.
MORE: Full swimming events schedule for 2024 Olympics
How deep is the Olympic pool?
- Depth in meters: 2-3 meters
- Depth in feet: 6.5-9.8
The minimum depth for an Olympic swimming pool must be 2 meters (6.5 feet), according to FINA, which governs international swimming events. The pool at the Paris La Defense Arena, where swimming events are held at the 2024 Olympics, is 2.15 meters (about 7 feet, 1/2 inch) deep.
Olympics pool length and width in feet
- Length: 164 feet
- Width: 82.02-85.3 feet
An Olympic pool is 164 feet long and 82 feet wide — about half the size of an NFL football field.
Is the Olympics diving pool different from swimming?
The Olympics diving pool is deeper than the traditional Olympics swimming pool. The diving pool is a minimum of 16 feet deep, 60 feet in length and 75 feet-11 inches in width. The diving pool should include two 1-meter spring boards, two 3-meter springboards and three level--5 meters, 7.5 meters and 10 meters-diving platforms.
Where are Olympics swimming events held?
The pool Olympics swimming events will be held at the Paris La Defense Arena. The pool inside the multipurpose indoor arena will hold nearly 660,000 gallons of water. Aside from this year’s Olympics competition, La Defense Arena is home to the French rugby union club, Racing 92.
In addition to the pool events, the open-water marathons will take place in the Seine River beginning at the iconic Pont Alexandre III bridge. The renowned overpass connects the Avenue des Champs-Élysées to the Les Invalides and the Eiffel Tower. This year’s two-day marathon swimming marks the first point-to-point open water swimming competitions since the Olympics took place in Paris in 1900.
Where are Olympics diving events held?
The Olympics diving events will take place at the Olympics Aquatics Centre. The diving portion of the Summer Games will include eight events, with four being individual and four synchronized. They include the men’s and women’s 3m springboard, men’s and women’s 10m platform, men’s and women’s synchronized 3m springboard and men’s and women’s synchronized 10m platform.
