INDIANAPOLIS – USA Swimming and Indiana Sports Corp. are expected to announce the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in swimming will be held in Indianapolis.
A news conference at Lucas Oil Stadium is scheduled for Tuesday. Indianapolis, one of four cities bidding, had proposed assembling temporary pools in the stadium for the trials.
Other finalists are Omaha, St. Louis and Minneapolis.
The trials would be held in June.
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Since Indianapolis last hosted the trials at the Natatorium at IUPUI — in 2000 — the event has been held in temporary pools accommodating more spectators. The trials were outdoors at Long Beach, Calif., in 2004, and in an Omaha arena in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2021.
Indianapolis’ proposal is for a seating capacity of 30,000 to 35,000. Layout would resemble the 2021 Final Four, with 50-meter pools in place of basketball floors.
The 2004 short course World Championships were held inside then-Conseco Fieldhouse. That required two 25-meter pools, one for competition and one for warmups/cooldowns. There is not adequate space in the fieldhouse for two 50-meter pools, so the bid was for the stadium.
In a century of the Olympic Trials, Indianapolis has been the site six times, more than any other city. The trials were at Broad Ripple Pool in 1924 and 1952 (women only), and at the Natatorium in 1984, 1992, 1996 and 2000.
Coincidentally, the trials would mean Indy-to-Paris for swimmers in both the 1924 Olympics and 2024 Olympics.
More:Indy rejected for 2022 swim nationals, waits on 2024 Olympic Trials
Largest swimming crowd ever was 45,000 outdoors for the 1932 women’s Olympic Trials at Long Island, N.Y., according to the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Attendance was enhanced by a water show. Largest crowd for Olympic swimming was 25,000 at Berlin in 1936.
So 30,000 would be the most ever for a swim meet under one roof.
Contact IndyStar reporter David Woods at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.
