Wales National Pool facts for kids
The Wales National Pool (which is Pwll Cenedlaethol Cymru in Welsh) is a large 50-meter swimming pool. You can find it in the Sketty area of Swansea, a city in Wales.
This amazing pool is 50 meters long and 21 meters wide. While it's very big, it's not quite wide enough to be called an "Olympic size pool" by the rules of FINA, which is the world's swimming organization.
How the Pool Started
The Wales National Pool opened its doors in 2003. It cost about £11 million to build! Before this pool, Wales had another national pool called the Wales Empire Pool in Cardiff. That pool was taken down in 1998 to make space for the Millennium Stadium.
For a little while, the Swansea pool was the main national pool for Wales. But then, a new and even bigger pool, the Cardiff International Pool, was built in Cardiff. That one cost around £32 million and opened later.
What the Pool is Used For
This facility is more than just a big swimming pool! It also has a smaller training pool, which is 25 meters long and 9.5 meters wide. There are also 1,200 seats for people to watch swimming competitions.
The Wales National Pool is a very important place for athletes in Wales. It helps train some of the best swimmers and other water sports athletes in the world. It's also where the main office for Swim Wales is located. Swim Wales is the organization that looks after swimming in Wales.
Some swimmers even used this pool to get ready for the London 2012 Olympics! The pool was built with help from Sport Wales, Swansea Council, and Swansea University. It's actually built right on the university's sports center grounds.
More Places to See
- List of Olympic-size swimming pools in the United Kingdom
Other Websites to Visit
- Wales National Pool (official website)
- Denbigh Dragons visit the National Pool (a swimming club's visit)
