The shallow depth of the temporary swimming pool at La Défense Arena in Paris, measuring only 2.15 meters compared to the recommended 3 meters, may be creating a 'wavy' effect that hinders record-setting performances. Swimmers and coaches have expressed concerns that the pool's shallowness could be causing it to be "slow" and hindering fast times.
Despite the use of advanced training techniques like "digital twins" using computer models to optimize performance, swimmers in Paris have not met expectations, with only one world record broken by August 1. The shallow pool depth of 2.15 meters is cited as a potential factor contributing to athletes falling short in performance.
Studies have shown that temporary pools can have disruptive currents compared to permanent pools, affecting swimmers' performances, and the depth of the pool may be hindering fast times.
Determining if the pool in Nanterre is 'slow' involves complex mathematical problems like the Navier-Stokes equations governing fluid flow, which are considered one of the seven Millennium Prize Problems in mathematics, with a reward of $1 million for solving them.
Previous swimming events like the 2013 FINA World Swimming Championships in Barcelona and the 2016 Rio Olympics have also seen debates about pool currents affecting swimmers' performances. Scientific analysis and statistical studies have shown evidence of lane-dependent differences in swimmers' performances due to current-related factors in pools.
Sources: Scientific American, NPR, The Guardian, ABC, Sportstar, The Hindu, The Conversation, Fox News, Economic Times, Foreign Affairs, Mirage News, Ottawa Citizen, Sporting News, Fox Sports, Fresno Bee, Sports Illustrated, Sports Business Journal, The Standard, Courier Mail, SwimSwam, The Times
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
