Singapore’s World Aquatics Championships (WCH) Arena will stay open to both members of the public and national athletes until 2030, extending its life well beyond its original purpose as a temporary competition venue.
And by end October, you might just be able to get the chance to swim in the same pool where French swimming star Leon Marchand broke the men’s 200m individual medley world record during the semi-finals of the WCH on July 30.
Yesterday, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo announced that the facility received overwhelmingly “positive feedback” during a feasibility study and will now serve for “public use and national team training” alongside existing ActiveSG pools. More details will be released soon.
Situated beside Leisure Park Kallang, the 4,800-seat arena houses two Olympic-sized pools, each 50m long and 3m deep, featuring the same red OSB11 starting blocks that will be used at the Paris 2024 Games.
The deeper pool design and controlled temperature (25–28 °C) minimise turbulence, allowing for faster swim times. Thus, there were three world records and 12 championship records set during the WCH.
The venue is also being considered for future international events such as the 2029 SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games, complementing nearby facilities like the OCBC Aquatic Centre.
