According to the meet press kit provided by USA Swimming, which kindly granted a media credential, "this meet is the only way for an American pool swimmer to make" Team USA's squad of 26 women and 26 men entered at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Making history as hosts to the first swim meet contested in an NFL stadium, the city also known as racing capital of the world has rolled out the red, er, blue carpet for thousands of out-of-towners who poured through Indianapolis International Airport today.
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Excitement for the event is palpable from the Uber/Taxi stand to hotel lobbies and along the downtown walk to the stadium, which now has two temporary pools -- one each for competition and warmups -- in the stadium divided by a massive curtain.
From a perch on one of the media rows along the finish line end of the racing pool, swimmers aged 14 to 46 are mingling with coaches, security and meet staff.
Opening night includes superstar, legend and newly branded bestselling author Katie Ledecky, who's racing in the 400-meter freestyle long course less than a week since the release her page-turning autobiography "Just Add Water" (review forthcoming).
Some additional details about the competition space:
- First time 70-foot-tall vertical digital board topping off the athlete entrance (I suspect this is really gonna pop on live broadcasts via NBC and Peacock)
- Water (1.8 million gallons) is sourced from the nearby White River, purified and treated for competition; after post-event filtration, it's all heading back to nature
- Three years of planning, 8,000 hours of fabrication, 12 collaborating entities, four weeks for installation
- Pools will see new life at permanent sites in Fort Wayne, Ind., and the Cayman Islands
As of this post, more than 10,000 are in attendance, with a target on an all-time record.
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