The Cardiff International Pool (Welsh: Pwll Rhyngwladol Caerdydd) is a sport facility located in the Cardiff International Sports Village in Cardiff, capital of Wales. It opened to the public on 12 January 2008 and was officially opened on 26 February 2008 by Duncan Goodhew.
It is a public-private funded project, with a partnership between Cardiff Council (land owner), OLLC which is a partnership between Orion Land & Leisure and Explore Investments (developers) and Parkwood Leisure (operator). Parkwood won the contract to manage the facility for 10 years, with a projected turnover of £2.5m each year.
Construction of the GB£32 million facility commenced in April 2006 and includes two pools; an Olympic size 50 m (160 ft) 10-lane competition swimming pool with seating for 1,000 spectators and a 25 m (82 ft) 4-lane indoor waterpark with flume rides, a beach area with water slides, a lazy river and jacuzzi. The centre also has a fitness suite and studios, conference rooms and a café.
It was also built to support the London 2012 Olympics as a training facility. Several other sporting venues in the city of Cardiff are being used for Olympics, the Millennium Stadium will be used for football in the Olympics. The pool replaces the Olympic size Empire Pool (used in the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, which Cardiff hosted) which was demolished to make way for the Millennium Stadium ready for Cardiff and Wales to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup.
Famous quotes containing the word pool:
“I caught a blackjack right behind my ear. A black pool opened up at my feet. I dived in. It had no bottom. I felt pretty good—like an amputated leg.”
—John Paxton (1911–1985)