Monday, April 27 marked a historic day for the Hellenic Olympic Committee, as reconstruction works officially began at the historic Olympic Swimming Pool in the centre of Athens, with the significant support of the National Bank of Greece.

This project signals a new era for the country’s aquatic sports facilities, as the venue will be fully upgraded to meet modern international standards. Upon completion, the facility will serve as a key training and competition center for the national water polo and swimming teams.

The duration of the works is estimated at 12 months, after which the Olympic Swimming Pool will be fully ready to host athletes and high-level competitions.

At the launch of the works, the President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Isidoros Kouvelos, stated among other things:
“We are in a truly emblematic place. A place that may have fallen silent for years, but never ceased to live on in memory, in history, and in our hearts: the historic Olympic Pool.

Today, after more than 14 years, we are bringing life back to a venue that is connected with dreams, efforts, and achievements. Today, we are opening a new chapter—a new era for aquatic sports and for Greek sport as a whole.

From day one, the new administration of the Hellenic Olympic Committee did not accept abandonment, but set a clear goal: to invest in the infrastructure our athletes deserve. We set a major and ambitious, I would say triple challenge: to bring back into operation the country’s key Olympic facilities—the Rowing Centre in Schinias, the Panathenaic Stadium, and the Athens Olympic Pool.

Today, we can proudly say that this challenge is becoming reality. It was not easy. But it is happening. And that is what matters.

And we continue! Because our vision does not stop here. The next step is the creation of modern accommodation facilities for our athletes at the Olympic Stadium—a space that will support their daily efforts.”

Representing aquatic sports athletes were Olympic swimmer Apostolos Christou and the captain of the women’s national water polo team, Eleftheria Plevritou.

Apostolos Christou said:
“I had the chance to experience this pool when it was still open, and this is where I took my first steps as an athlete. Here I prepared for the junior world record and the silver medal at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. The venue is iconic, and this development is truly great news. I hope that in 2027 we will begin our preparation for Los Angeles here, because it is very important for aquatic sports to have a home.”

Eleftheria Plevritou added:
“This is where my journey with the national team began, with my first training sessions. It was very positive news when Mr. Kouvelos informed me that the reconstruction works would begin. We are really looking forward to training and competing here, because we know that the high-quality conditions of the new facility will greatly support our preparation for the Los Angeles Olympic Games.”

(ΑΡΓΥΡΩ ΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΙΟΥ / EUROKINISSI)