HERNANDO BOTERO O’BYRNE SWIMMING POOL
These pools are located in the Jaime Aparicio Sports Unit, between the recreational basketball courts and the new Hockey Coliseum. They were built to perform the VI Pan-American Games in 1971, and throughout the years, they have been the scene of various national and international championships in swimming, water polo, synchronized swimming, finswimming, diving and underwater rugby.
This scenario is located in an area of 10.400 m2 and has a capacity of 7.280 people. The offices of the Secretaría del Deporte y Recreación (Secretariat of Sport and Recreation), the Swim League of Valle del Cauca, the Federation of Underwater Activities and swimming sports clubs operate there.
Hernando Botero O'Byrne swimming pool has three areas: the first includes a pool depth of 5.00 m for ornamental jumps with regulatory trampolines of 3m, 5m, 7m and 10m high, which is also used for synchronized swimming practice. The second is a competition pool of 50m long and 20 wide, with 8 lanes and 2.40m deep, which is used for practice and competitions in swimming and water polo. The third area corresponds to a semi-Olympic pool, 25m long by 16m wide, and 1.65m deep, which works for training athletes before competitions and programs for swimming lessons.
In late 2011 and early 2012, a rehabilitation pool was built on the third area of the aquatic complex of 12m long and 6m wide, with a depth of 1.20m. This pool has steps and extended handrails, and it differs from other pools, since it’s heated by a gas heat pump. Here, swimming lessons are given to children and pregnant women, as well as rehabilitation sessions to athletes with musculoskeletal injuries.
For The World Games 2013, other pool was built for the practice of the athletes before competitions which has 30m long by 25m wide and a depth of 3m.
The importance of this venue, besides hosting the Vallecauca League and the Colombian National Team, is that in its Olympic pool have broken Pan-American and global records. For example, in 1971, the U.S. team (Heindereich, McConica, Genter and Helkl) broke the 4 x 200 freestyle record; in 1975, at The World Swimming Championships, Birgit Treiber broke the record of 200 meters backstroke; Kornelia Ender broke the 100-meter butterfly and 100 freestyle record and, along with Claudia Hempel, Barbara Krause and Ute Brückner, broke the record in 4 x 100 meters freestyle.
During The World Games 2013 canoe polo, lifesaving and finswimming will take place at this venue.
