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Video Update: Swim Trials Pool Fills Up

With help from the Omaha Fire Department, the competition pool at the CenturyLink Center began filling up with water Friday morning.

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Reporter: John Chapman, Mike Plews

Swim Trials Pool Fills Up

With help from the Omaha Fire Department, the competition pool at the CenturyLink Center began filling up with water Friday morning.

The 50-meter competition pool holds one million gallons of water. Pumping around 1,000 gallons a minute, it was expected to take between 10 and 12 hours to get the job done. This is one of two temporary pools assembled for the Olympic Swim Trials, which will be held from June 25th to May 2th. The process will be repeated to fill the warm-up pool.

“The Omaha Fire Department is so happy and full of pride to be able to help out with this magnificent event and to be able to do our part in to help facilitate getting the pools filled,” said OFD Capt. Tim McCaw.

Karen Nelsen and Kari Ramsey of Omaha watched and were swept away with feelings of patriotism and local pride. “I came here thinking it would be fascinating to watch the water go in and I can’t believe how moved I am by the entire experience, it's a patriotic moment,” said Nelsen.

“We proved to them four years ago that we could do this,” said Ramsey. “It’s awesome and people of Omaha don't realize how moving this is. This is a temporary swimming pool.”

Both pools were set up in eight days, which the manufacturer believes may be a record. After the trials are over, the main pool will be disassembled and shipped to Charles River Aquatics near Boston.

“I would think it’s pretty prestigious being that Michael Phelps has announced his retirement, so this will be his last American meet he will be in in his fantastic career, so I would think that's pretty special,” said Kevin McGrath of Myrtha Pools.