The recycling of pools used at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka delivers on an industry-leading concept of sustainable development, education, and recycling.
The six championship sports are held at multiple venues in Fukuoka with swimming, artistic swimming, and water polo using a total of five temporary pools for competition, warm-up and training purposes.
All of these pools feature world-leading top-level pool technology from World Aquatics’ partner Myrtha Pools. This includes a three-metre deep swimming pool installed in Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall A, the championships’ main arena, as well as a dedicated water polo prefabricated in Hall B. In addition, three other temporary pools provide a training and warm-up environment for the athletes and teams to prepare for their events in competition-like settings.
Fukuoka City’s Venue Planning Team Chief for the championships, Yoshimasa Irie, explained to World Aquatics the distinct advantage of using temporary pools.
"It does not mean the people necessarily come where there is a pool, but with using temporary pools, you can set up a competition field where there are people,” said Irie.
“I think the biggest advantage is that the event can be held in a place where it is convenient for spectators to come. I have also heard that building a permanent pool has resulted in a negative legacy due to ongoing running costs in some cases.”
“Especially in Fukuoka as a mature city with several existing 50m pools, instead of constructing any additional permanent pool, I think that building a temporary pool for an event is a very reasonable choice."
In addition to the benefit of using temporary pools, materials such as stainless steel panels and gutters that were originally used at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 have been reused in the three warm-up pools in Fukuoka.
After the World Aquatics Championships, the main swimming pool and warm-up pool will remain at the venue and will be used for the World Aquatics Masters Championships. Furthermore, two of the warm-up pools will make a fresh start in life as permanent pools for four elementary schools in Fukuoka City after the masters championships with the exclusive Myrtha modular technology.
President of the Fukuoka 2023 Organising Committee, Daichi Suzuki, explained to the media gathered at the event’s opening press conference that the ‘recycled pools’ concept is importantly aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
“At this World Aquatics Championships we consider Sustainable Development Goals,” said Suzuki.
“For example, the pool used for Tokyo 2020 will be reused as a warm-up pool. In addition, after the competition, it will be reused at schools.”
Venue Planning Team Chief Yoshimasa Irie added that this concept also tied in with the Fukuoka 2023 theme.
"The concept of the Fukuoka 2023 is ‘Water Meets The Future’. I've been willing to make some projects that will lead to the future through my role in venue planning,” Irie told World Aquatics.
“Reusing the pool is one of the core projects," added Irie. "With valuing resources, I believe that it will be an initiative to pass on the legacy to the next generation. It would be great to see children that are happy in the pool, and even more exciting if some world-class swimmers are amongst the children."
The World Aquatics Championships Fukuoka Organising Committee signed a partnership agreement with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee back in 2019. It was decided that the pools used for the Tokyo 2020 Games would be used in Fukuoka in the agreement.
Thanks to the flexibility of Myrtha's modular stainless steel technology, the pools used for the Tokyo 2020 Games were able to accommodate the specific requirements of an elementary school. As the standard Myrtha Pools module didn't perfectly match the size needed, the ingenious solution was to pre-cut stainless steel panels to a suitable dimension prior to the Tokyo 2020 Games, which were then seamlessly integrated into the pool structures. This adaptability showcased the versatility and efficiency of the Myrtha system, ensuring a successful and customized aquatic facility for the event.
In addition to its fast installation for major sports events, Myrtha technology offers significant advantages for the pools in Fukuoka. CEO of Myrtha Pools, Roberto Colletto, explained to World Aquatics in regards to the system.
“Myrtha technology’s superior elastic behaviour allows it to withstand seismic events, and compared to other pool systems, it efficiently absorbs energy during earthquakes without compromising structural integrity,” said Colletto.
“Furthermore, Myrtha's lightweight feature reduces loads on concrete foundations, enhancing the overall structural behaviour during seismic events."
The futuristic long-term plan, coordinated with Tokyo 2020, will finally come to fruition after two years since it was originally planned. While the project will over, the legacy will stand long into the future, and the pool will be reborn to start a new life after the championships.