INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis is typically known for laps around the track, but soon, it'll be the fastest lap in the pool for a ticket to Paris.
On June 15, the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials will begin inside Lucas Oil Stadium. The trials will determine who represents Team USA in Paris this summer during the Olympics.
13News got a behind-the-scenes look at how crews are building the 2 1/2 Olympic-sized pools on top of the Indianapolis Colts’ gridiron.
“This is the first time anyone has ever done this in a football stadium. This will be the largest venue a swim meet has ever been held in,” said John Ireland, chief technical officer and senior engineer for Myrtha Pools. “This is going to look like a Natatorium space – not a football stadium – very shortly.”
Myrtha Pools has a long-storied history with USA Swimming. The company has built hundreds of temporary pools for swim meets around the world. Right now, they are also constructing 27 pools in Paris.
However, the project in Indy is more rushed, with only weeks to get it all done.
“It’s not actually the fastest we have ever done. This same team has actually done this exact same build in only seven days, but that almost killed us,” Ireland said. “But this is pretty close to the record.”
The framework of the competition pool is set, but the warmup pool still needs to be finished.
PHOTOS: US Swimming Trials pool construction
Hoosier workers from around the state are helping speed up the process.
“What you see behind me is an Indiana-heavy build. Almost every company involved is from Indiana, and the Local 30 have just done an unbelievable job supporting us with extra help,” Ireland said.
One of the local companies is Dodd Technologies. The team is helping turn the competition into an experience for athletes and fans.
“We do everything but the water. So, we are not building the actual pool in the middle, but we are building everything around it — all the lighting, all the LED, all the production elements,” said Andy Meggenhofen, vice president of Dodd Technologies.
Meggenhofen said they also plan to give a nod to the football stadium and the Colts by adding “Indianapolis” across the end of the pool deck.
USA Swimming says everything must be done right.
“We can’t have a malfunction. We can’t have a leak in the pool, so it is critical. That is why we take the time here to build this out,” said Jake Grosser, senior director of marketing and communications for USA Swimming.
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As the nation’s fastest swimmers prepare to set records in the fastest pool, organizers say the venue will also be setting a record of its own.
“A lot of firsts will happen, and I’m pretty confident we will have some record-setting performances in the pool as we name a team for Paris. So, there will be a lot of history made that week,” Grosser said.
On Thursday, the competition pool will be filled with water. It’s expected to take 14 hours, with a little over 1 million gallons.
The goal is to finish construction by June 5. USA Swimming will also be hosting “Stadium Splash” a week before the trials as a test run.
Afterwards, the pools will be deconstructed, with one going to Fort Wayne and the other to the Cayman Islands.