By: Ruihao Rick Shan

San Jose California- When you step into a pool area, the first thing you notice is the strong smell of chlorine, the chemical that keeps the water clean. This distinctive odor stands out more than the sight of the blue water or the sound of splashing. But that’s not the case at Lucas Oil Stadium, which has been converted into the world’s largest indoor swimming venue for the next 10 days.

The construction began on May 12th. 2 million gallons of water were pumped in through a single fire hydrant. Mythra Pools, a company that specializes in building large temporary pools. Using an elevated pool deck, they created enough depth for the 3 pools.

The competition pool is 50 meters long and 3 meters deep. The other two pools are warmup pools. One is 25 meters long, the other 50 meters. A massive curtain will separate the competition pool from the warm-up pools.

Another company, Spear Corps, deals with plumbing, pumps, and filtration. They UV treat the 3000 gallons of water that flow into the pools every minute. Brian Spear, the owner of Spear Corps, said, “The water chemistry has to be balanced perfectly along with the correct temperature of around 79.5 degrees Fahrenheit.”

USA Swimming has seen its most popular event exceed the capacity of the locations that used to host trials. It now has to use an NFL stadium to accommodate the crowd for the events.

“We’re taking a swing,” acknowledged USA Swimming CEO Tim Hinchey, “We’re seizing the opportunity to amplify our sport.”