Swimming History: 55 Yard Pools?!

Did you know that pools used to be made 55 yards long? Through the US, Australia, and UK, pools were made in 55 yard lengths, in part to help break up races into even divisions of the mile. In fact, the 1904 Olympics were the only ones ever swum in yards, and included a 1760 race for a true mile, instead of our standard 1650. Following the 1904 Olympics the AAU (the USA Swimming predecessor) made the choice to switch all competitions to long course meters, and our 50 meter x 25 yard pools became a new standard. Bonus pool fact, the 1908 Olympics was one of the first specially constructed pools for international competition and was 100m long!