Whimsy columnist CLIVE WILLIAMS jumps in the deep end with a look at swimming, wherever it occurs, and his impending ambition to swim six kilometres across the Bosphorus Strait. 

“A girl knocked on my door saying she was collecting for a local swimming pool; I gave her a two-litre bottle of water.” –Anon

There has been public focus on swimming pools in Canberra in the past year due to the questionable goings-on surrounding the Phillip 50-metre outdoor pool and the on-again off-again plans for redevelopment of the historic Olympic pool complex in Civic. 

Even so, swimmers are fortunate in the Canberra area to be well served with six 50-metre pools and a large number of 25-metre pools. 

Australia has more than 500 50-metre pools while the whole of the UK, with 2.6 times our population, has around 50. The US has around 500 50-metre pools for a population 13 times that of Australia. Even small towns in Australia have swimming pools, so there’s no excuse for us not doing well in competitive swimming internationally.

Today, 50-metre pools are the benchmark for competitive swimming, while smaller 25-metre “short course” pools are mainly for general community use. 

The combination of historical tradition, practicality, and athletic standards has made 50-metre pools a cornerstone of modern competition swimming.

Swimming pools have a rich history dating back thousands of years, evolving from natural bathing areas to the standardised 50-metre pools we know today. 

One of the earliest known pools is the Great Bath in Mohenjo-Daro (modern-day Pakistan), built around 2500 BC. This pool, made of brick and bitumen, was used for religious and social purposes.

Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans also constructed pools for bathing, religious ceremonies, or athletic training. The Romans famously built luxurious heated baths (thermae), some of which included swimming areas.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the tradition of public baths and pools declined in Europe, partly due to concerns about hygiene and morality. However, swimming remained part of military training and monastic life.

Swimming pools regained popularity during the Renaissance as interest in Greco-Roman culture revived. Pools were often associated with spas and therapeutic bathing.

In the 19th century, swimming began to emerge as a recreational and competitive activity in Europe. The first indoor swimming pool, St George’s Baths, opened in London in 1828. Competitive swimming became formalised, with the first swimming organisation, the National Swimming Society, formed in Britain. Pools started to be standardised, with basic dimensions established for competitions.

The revival of the modern Olympics in 1896 greatly influenced the standardisation of swimming pools. Early Olympic swimming events were held in open water, but pools became the preferred venue by the 20th century.

The establishment of the sports body FINA in 1908 helped standardise pool sizes and swimming rules. FINA adopted the 50-metre length as the standard for long course competition pools.

By the mid-20th century, international swimming competitions predominantly used 50-metre pools, solidifying their status as the gold standard. This length allows for even pacing in races and works well with the standard Olympic swimming events (eg, 100m, 200m, 400m, etcetera). 

Open-water swimming is also popular in Australia, with groups such as the Bold & Beautiful in Manly having 0630 and 0700 daily 1500-metre swims from Manly to Shelly Beach and back.

Then there are numerous competitive ocean swims such as the Cole Classic, and challenge swims such as The Rip swim in Victoria between the Port Phillip Bay heads. 

This year my challenge is to swim six kilometres from Türkiye to Greece across the Bosphorus Strait on August 24 – if I make the selection. Lord Byron swam the Bosphorus Strait on May 3 1810 during his time in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). Byron’s swim was inspired by the legendary story of Leander, who, according to Greek mythology, swam nightly across the strait to meet his lover, Hero. The swim is now held annually. If Whimsys stop after August 24, you’ll know I didn’t make it!

On a lighter note 

Using a medium, a woman contacted her dead husband John and cried emotionally: “How are you darling?” 

“Wonderful,” came the ghostly reply. “There’s plenty of sunshine and food, flights to interesting places, and lots of swimming – you know how I always loved the water.” 

The widow sighed contentedly and said: “I can’t wait to join you in heaven.” 

“I’m not in heaven,” John replied, “I was reincarnated as a duck.”

Clive Williams is a Canberra commentator.