[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":185},["ShallowReactive",2],{"latest-published-pool-number":3,"page-\u002Fpool\u002Folympia-schwimmhalle-munich":4,"surround-\u002Fpool\u002Folympia-schwimmhalle-munich":180},307,{"id":5,"title":6,"address":7,"body":8,"city":139,"country":140,"date":141,"description":142,"device":143,"distance":144,"extension":145,"featured_image":146,"gallery":147,"googlemap":155,"lanes":156,"latitude":157,"length":158,"longitude":159,"meta":160,"metaDescription":161,"metaTitle":162,"navigation":163,"ogImage":164,"pace":165,"path":166,"pool":3,"published":163,"rating":167,"review":168,"robots":164,"schemaOrg":164,"seo":169,"setupLanes":164,"setupLength":164,"setupUnits":164,"sitemap":170,"state":172,"stem":173,"tags":174,"type":176,"units":177,"url":178,"__hash__":179},"pools\u002Fpool\u002F307.olympia-schwimmhalle-munich.md","Olympia-Schwimmhalle Munich","Olympiapark München, Coubertinpl. 1, 80809 München, Germany",{"type":9,"value":10,"toc":135},"minimark",[11,15,18,21,24,36,43,46,49,52,55,62,65,68,71,74,77,80,83,86,89,92,95,98,101,108,111,114,117,120,123,129],[12,13,14],"p",{},"Today is another bucket list swim! The famous 1972 Munich Olympic swimming pool!",[12,16,17],{},"Catch a combination of underground trains from the Hilton Munich City, followed by a quick five-minute walk through the Olympic Park in the rain. The swimming hall sits alongside a couple of the other famous Olympic venues, all clustered together beneath the rather spectacular tent-like roof structure.",[12,19,20],{},"ChatGPT assures me there's lane swimming throughout the day, from 7am until late evening, so plenty of opportunity to fit in a lunchtime swim before heading back to work.",[12,22,23],{},"A little history before I get in!",[12,25,26,27,31,32,35],{},"The pool was designed by architectural firm ",[28,29,30],"strong",{},"Behnisch & Partner",", working with ",[28,33,34],{},"Frei Otto",", and forms part of the famous circus-like, tent-roofed Olympic complex. During the 1972 Games, the venue hosted swimming, diving, water polo and the swimming element of the modern pentathlon.",[12,37,38,39,42],{},"The swimming performances here were quite remarkable. Olympic records were broken in all 29 swimming events, with 20 new world records set during the Games. Most famously, American swimmer ",[28,40,41],{},"Mark Spitz"," made history by winning seven gold medals, setting seven world records along the way. Quite something to think I'll be swimming in the very same pool!",[12,44,45],{},"The facility opened to the general public in 1973, with its original Olympic spectator capacity of around 9,000 reduced to 1,500. The complex has been under a historical preservation order since 1998.",[12,47,48],{},"Now 54 years old, it still looks the part. Granted, the structure is a little weathered in places, but it's still hugely impressive. The building has undergone substantial modernisation over the years, including work on the roof in the 2000s and a major refurbishment between 2016 and 2021, upgrading the technical infrastructure and pools whilst preserving that distinctive 1970s architecture.",[12,50,51],{},"Interestingly, Munich has recently been selected as Germany's candidate city for a future Olympic Games, potentially in 2036, 2040 or 2044. It would be rather special to see the Olympics return here. Given the building's protected status, I wonder what that would mean for the swimming hall. It turns out the current proposal is to install a temporary 10-lane competition pool in a planned event arena near Munich Airport, rather than redevelop this historic venue. Probably a sensible approach, although it would be wonderful to see Olympic swimming return to this very pool.",[12,53,54],{},"Anyway, time for a swim!",[12,56,57,58,61],{},"Arrive at reception and briefly interrupt the receptionist's rather vigorous knitting to pay the bargain price of ",[28,59,60],{},"€6.90"," for a full-day pass, which includes a locker card.",[12,63,64],{},"Take a moment to admire the pool from the upper viewing area near the entrance. It's a fantastic sight looking down over the competition pool, with its huge sweeping roof, spectator seating and enormous glass walls.",[12,66,67],{},"Head down the stairs, complete with an underwater-themed ceiling, into the changing village. There are rows of huge lockers, each with its own hanger and, more importantly, everything is clean and functional!",[12,69,70],{},"Quick change, then into the showers as is customary in Germany, before heading out onto the pool deck.",[12,72,73],{},"A little poolside stretch whilst admiring the rather unique circus tent-like structure overhead, then hop into centre lane 4, marked as the 'fast lane', currently occupied by just one other swimmer.",[12,75,76],{},"I'm not entirely sure of the original pool construction, but it looks like the competition pool has been relined in stainless steel at some point. A little research confirms this was part of the recent refurbishment.",[12,78,79],{},"I really don't mind these stainless steel pools. They look incredibly clean, and I imagine they're relatively easy to maintain, although there's always a little flex in the floor and walls which feels slightly unusual. The half of the pool nearest the changing village has a height-adjustable floor, set at around 1.5m today.",[12,81,82],{},"The water is lovely. Perfect temperature, beautifully clear and practically no chemical taste. Exactly how I like it.",[12,84,85],{},"Aiming for a fairly typical session today, mainly to get some metres on the board for the week.",[12,87,88],{},"Start the Garmin and push off.",[12,90,91],{},"I've barely completed the first 200m before the lane starts filling up. Before I know it, there are five or six swimmers sharing the lane and, despite the 'fast lane' sign on the starting blocks, the pace isn't exactly fast!",[12,93,94],{},"I'm starting to sense that lane swimming etiquette is a little different in Germany!",[12,96,97],{},"Having to overtake people on practically every length, sometimes managing triple overtakes as I work my way past groups of swimmers. Nobody seems particularly keen to let faster swimmers through at the lane ends, and a couple of swimmers repeatedly push off just as I'm approaching the wall!",[12,99,100],{},"The lifeguards don't seem especially fussed, so I'll put it down to cultural differences and get on with it. Still, it makes maintaining a decent pace rather frustrating.",[12,102,103,104,107],{},"Swim through an initial 45-minute 3km, then switch to five 200m efforts followed by four 100s to reach the session target of ",[28,105,106],{},"4.4km",".",[12,109,110],{},"I suspect the Garmin may have dropped a couple of lengths somewhere along the way, given the amount of stopping, starting and manoeuvring around other swimmers at the lane ends.",[12,112,113],{},"Still, 4,400m at an average pace of 1:33\u002F100m is a decent lunchtime session, particularly given the traffic!",[12,115,116],{},"Swim done.",[12,118,119],{},"Despite the rather chaotic lane swimming, I absolutely love this place. It's a wonderful piece of Olympic history and still a genuinely excellent swimming facility more than half a century after the Games. Clean, well maintained, great water quality and a fantastic setting.",[12,121,122],{},"And at €6.90 for the day, it's an absolute bargain.",[12,124,125,126,107],{},"Another memorable bucket list swim completed, and an easy ",[28,127,128],{},"92\u002F100",[12,130,131,132,107],{},"Time to head back across Munich to Messe München for ",[28,133,134],{},"electronica 2026",{"title":136,"searchDepth":137,"depth":137,"links":138},"",2,[],"Munich","Germany","2026-11-10","Lunchtime swim in the legendary 1972 Olympic pool.","Garmin Forerunner 965",4400,"md","olympia-schwimmhalle-munich.jpeg",[146,148,149,150,151,152,153,154],"olympia-schwimmhalle-munich-olympic-park-mist.jpeg","olympia-schwimmhalle-munich-pool-deck.jpeg","olympia-schwimmhalle-munich-locker-card.jpeg","olympia-schwimmhalle-munich-stairs.jpeg","olympia-schwimmhalle-munich-seating.jpeg","olympia-schwimmhalle-munich-glass-circle.jpeg","olympia-schwimmhalle-munich-entrance.jpeg","https:\u002F\u002Fmaps.app.goo.gl\u002FrZRut3MUQv1ztqnN7","8",48.17395402827603,50,11.551599051571472,{},"Pool review, photos and information for Olympia-Schwimmhalle, Munich. A bucket list swim in the legendary 1972 Olympic swimming pool.","Olympia-Schwimmhalle Swimming Pool Munich, Germany",true,null,"1:33","\u002Fpool\u002Folympia-schwimmhalle-munich",92,"This is an impressive competition pool. Everything is very clean, tidy and well spec'd. The pool water is the perfect temperature, beautifully clear and with almost no chemical taste. I am noticing a distinct lack of lane swimming etiquette in Germany!",{"title":6,"description":142},{"loc":166,"lastmod":171},"2026-11-11","Bavaria","pool\u002F307.olympia-schwimmhalle-munich",[175],"olympic","Indoor","m","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.olympiapark.de\u002Fen\u002Fthe-olympic-park\u002Fpark-overview\u002Folympic-swimming-pool","ppCMLFGxNGeb_jaDxIdObk64z09GavlVxqCuhwX1s_o",[164,181],{"title":182,"path":183,"stem":184,"children":-1},"The Castle Centre","\u002Fpool\u002Fthe-castle-centre","pool\u002F306.the-castle-centre",1794403327628]