<P> An Olympic - size swimming pool is the type of swimming pool used in the Olympic Games, where the race course is 50 metres (164.0 ft) in length . This is typically referred to as "long course", distinguishing it from "short course" which applies to competitions in pools that are 25 metres (82.0 ft) in length . If touch panels are used in competition, then the distance between touch panels should be either 25 or 50 metres to qualify for FINA recognition . This means that Olympic pools are generally oversized, to accommodate touch panels used in competition . </P> <P> An Olympic - size swimming pool is used as a colloquial unit of volume, to make approximate comparisons to similarly sized objects or volumes . It is not a specific definition, as there is no official limit on the depth of an Olympic pool . The value has an order of magnitude of 1 megaliter (ML). </P>

How many feet is an olympic size swimming pool