Commonwealth Games and FINA officials insist records set in the Glasgow pool will stand despite revelations that a technical hitch has left the floor stuck in an uneven position.
The Tollcross pool has a moveable floor that allows the depths to be changed. But the floor became stuck fast the day before competition began on Friday and can’t be fixed until the completion of the swimming program for fear of rendering it unusable.
Because of the defect, the pool depth wouldn’t be legal at a world championships or Olympic Games, which require a minimum depth of two metres for the entire 50 metres. But FINA, swimming’s governing body, only requires a depth of 1.35m for other competitions, including the Commonwealth Games.
As it stands, the pool is currently two metres deep at the start, before sloping upwards to 1.88 metres at the 12-metre mark, at which point it drops off rapidly back down to two metres. The dip is clearly visible from the stands.
Glasgow 2014 spokesperson Jackie Brock-Doyle confirmed on Sunday there was an issue with the pool floor but was adamant it complied with regulations and no records would be called into question. Organisers have been in deep discussions with FINA technical delegate and vice-president Sam Ramsamy, who is in Glasgow.
“It’s fully compliant. We’ve discussed it with the FINA technical delegate. It’s fully compliant with FINA rules for the Commonwealth Games,” Brock-Doyle told Fairfax Media. “There will be no impact on the competitors and records set here.”
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