The swimmers from Nice finally have a pool that matches their ambitions. Gone are the days of training at the Jean Bouin pool, making way for the Olympic-size pool. An outdoor gem was inaugurated with great pomp on Saturday, accompanied by Camille Muffat and Fabrice Pellerin.
At first glance, the building housing the new playground for Fabrice Pellerin’s protégés seems ordinary. Almost invisible in the rather flat landscape of western Nice. However, the impression changes as soon as you enter the place. A reception area and then you immediately see the pool. An outdoor surface that gives the impression of extending infinitely.
Beyond visual aspects, the practical side of this new high-level pool must be highlighted. With water heated to 28 degrees, swimmers can train even in bad weather (snow, wind, …). The dimensions, 50 x 25 meters, exactly replicate the setting of major international swimming competitions. Fabrice Pellerin, coach of the Olympic Nice Swimming Club (ONN), does not hide his joy at the idea of using this new facility: “With this pool, we have addressed a comfort need that has been missing for several years. In record time, we’ve managed to have an ultra-functional tool. It’s an additional chance for medals that opens up to us with a sport culture firmly established in this city.”
A real flagship for swimming and aquatic sports in Nice, the pool aims to host the greatest foreign athletes. For now, Camille Muffat, spokesperson for swimming on the Côte d’Azur and in France, showcased during the inauguration, fully intends to take full advantage of the facility in preparation for the Rio Olympic Games. Increasingly present alongside the Mayor Christian Estrosi, the Olympic medal-winning swimmer no longer hides her political preferences. It’s a way to thank the mayor of Nice, a pillar of this two-part aquatic project. The second phase concerns the construction of an indoor pool with 1,000-seat stands.
Deliberately open to the public, the space will be available for use by all sports clubs. In total, the first phase of the work cost 5,423,000 euros. Now, it’s up to the swimmers to make the most of this investment and feel like fish in water!
