Everybody in the pool!
Watch my latest video commentary or read below:
The U.S. Olympic swimming trials start next weekend in Omaha.
Yes, Omaha.
And no, Omaha doesn’t have some big-time, state-of-the-art swimming facility. Well, actually, it has one for another two weeks or so. The City of Omaha built two temporary pools at the Qwest Center, the city’s downtown arena. There is one Olympic-sized pool for competition and a second one for warm-ups.
Where there wasn’t a pool before, now there are two holding millions of gallons of water.
All of this begs a question — why can’t Oklahoma City go after the 2012 U.S. Olympic trials?
We don’t have a facility right now that could host the trials, but apparently, we don’t need one. Temporary pools are the way most of the U.S. trials are hosted. Four years ago, the trials were in Long Beach. Sunny California is one place you might suspect they’d have suitable facilities for the trials. Nope. They leased a pair of European-made portable pools and set them up in the parking lot of the convention center.
Why outside? That was because the swimming competition at the 2004 Olympics in Athens was held in an outdoor venue. USA Swimming likes to have the trials at a venue that’s similar to the Olympics.
The 2012 Games are in London, and an indoor pool will be used.
Why couldn’t Oklahoma City host the 2012 trials at the Ford Center? Heck, even the Cox Convention Center could be an option.
Samantha Woodward notwithstanding, Oklahoma City isn’t exactly a swimming mecca. But the city definitely knows how to put on big-time sporting events. Wouldn’t it be cool for Michael Phelps and Co. to come through in four years on their way to London?
And remember, Woodward, the young phenom who recently graduated from Edmond Memorial, will be 21 heading into the next Olympics. Wouldn’t it be cool if she made the team in her hometown?
The 2012 U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Oklahoma City would only be the greatest thing ever. Maybe it seems like a crazy idea, a far-flung dream.
You know, I bet the folks in Omaha thought the same thing four years ago.