Breaking: A star for the Indianapolis Colts is returning.

The smell of chlorine, the chemical that keeps the water clean, is the first thing that greets you when you walk into any pool area. The aroma of a pool is strong and recognisable, much more so than the sight of the azure water or the sound of waves crashing into one. However, that isn’t the case at Lucas Oil Stadium, which is set to become the largest indoor swimming facility in the world for the next ten days.

The area is so large that the smell of chlorine is not an issue during these U.S. Olympic Trials unless you’re in the water or on the pool deck.

The traditional pools that used to host Trials, such as the IUPUI Natatorium, which is only a few blocks from Lucas Oil, or the Jamail Texas Swim Centre in Austin, have become too small for USA Swimming’s marquee event. It has outgrown a basketball court with four Trials held in Omaha between 2008 and 2021. It’s time to see how an NFL stadium fits now.

Tim Hinchey, CEO of USA Swimming, told Sports Illustrated during a tour of the facility last week, “We’re taking a swing.” “We’re taking advantage of this chance to grow our sport.”

When it comes to holding events other than football games at football stadiums, Americans have a long history of dreaming large. We as a nation love producing large-scale sporting events, as seen by the 1968 UCLA vs. Houston men’s basketball game played in the Astrodome, the NHL’s yearly Winter Classic, and last year’s Nebraska women’s volleyball match played in front of 92,000 fans. It’s a new one, though.

Swimming is generally a minor activity, but it required some incredible bravery to position it in a venue like this, where it is one of the main Olympic competitions held every four years.