INDIANAPOLIS — Lucas Oil Stadium is about to become the world's largest natatorium.
Myrtha Pools plans to start building the pool for the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials on Sunday. That means they have about a month to finish the project before the trials begin on June 15.
"This is the biggest venue that a pool has ever been inside of," said John Ireland of Myrtha Pools. "There are some very unique challenges associated with that and a lot more moving parts than we're used to."
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Myrtha Pools has constructed hundreds of temporary pools for high-profile swim meets, including a pool inside of the then-Conseco Fieldhouse for the 2004 FINA Short Course World Championships.
However, Ireland said Lucas Oil Stadium is a unique challenge for the experienced company because of the size and speed of the job.
"It is intimidating." Ireland said. "We're doing something that typically takes six to nine months in just a few weeks."
While Olympic hopefuls will swim in front of tens of thousands of fans, Indiana high school swimmers will be the first to test the water.
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Fort Wayne Swim Team coach Ben Sutton said his team is among the first wave of swimmers.
"To be able to walk through those doors, stand on that pool deck, look around, and think that our sport is going to produce an event of this caliber is amazing," Sutton said.
It will not be the team's last time swimming in the pool. A non-profit group connected to the swim team will buy the Lucas Oil Stadium pool after the trials and move it to Fort Wayne.
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"Indianapolis has sixteen 50-meter pools, we have just one in Fort Wayne," Sutton. "We desperately need some more water space and lane space. We're lane locked with our swim team."
Sutton also attended the 2004 swim meet at Conseco Fieldhouse. He said the Olympic swim trials represent a new exciting era for swimmers across the state.
"20 years ago, if you would have told me that we would be able to put 30,000 people in Lucas Oil Stadium for a swimming event, I would have said no way," Sutton said.
