Home Pool Advantage: A Host Country Swimming Analysis [Video]

With all the talk about the Paris pool being “slow” during the Olympics, and then watching Leon Marchand break four Olympic records in front of a home crowd, I came to wonder– how much does a host country’s pool affect their home-grown swimmers? From competing at your home pool during a high school or college dual meet all the way to representing your nation at a home Olympics, there’s a certain sense of pride that comes with swimming in front of a familiar crowd. 

So, how does a familiar environment aid a swimmer’s performance? Let’s take a look at some data behind the world records and previous Olympic Games to see if anything stands out. 

WORLD RECORDS

We watched Kristof Milakbreak the world record in the 200 butterfly to a roaring crowd in Budapest, and we recently felt the energy and passion from the French fans, listening to “Allez les Bleus” every time a French …