The councilors of Znojmo want a new six-lane pool, experts are against it

Znojmo - The Znojmo city council has approved that the new indoor swimming pool project in Louka will have six lanes. The decision is justified by lower construction and operating costs, said city spokesperson Zuzana Pastrňáková today to ČTK. Experts are against it, pointing out that if the pool does not have at least eight lanes, it will not be possible to hold international or even national competitions in Znojmo, and the pool's capacity will be insufficient.

Znojmo had already decided earlier to build a new pool because the capacity-inadequate municipal baths are no longer worth repairing. The new pool is to be located next to the outdoor swimming pool. For many years, the Znojmo swimming club has also wished for quality facilities, having produced several successful athletes. "We had swimmers at six Olympics, and we brought back 25 medals from the World and European Championships. Such a club deserves an eight-lane pool," Jiří Kyněra, who previously served in the role of national coach, told ČTK.

The costs for a six-lane pool are estimated at 210 million CZK, while an eight-lane pool would cost 232 million CZK. The length is to be 25 meters and the depth 1.8 meters. The documentation for the zoning decision is expected to be completed by November 30. The city did not heed the recommendations of a roughly twenty-member commission made up of experts, most of whom advocated for a pool with eight lanes.

As Kyněra argued, so did Petr Ryška, the chairman of the Czech Swimming Sports Association. "When pools are being built in larger cities today, six-lane pools are no longer constructed. An eight-lane pool was built, for example, in Chomutov and is being planned in Opava. I know what the issues are in Jihlava, where there are six lanes and not enough space for the public; we would also need more," said Ryška. Znojmo is the second largest city in South Moravia with a population of 34,000.

Ryška mentioned that the swimming association is already holding student championships in pools with eight lanes and is trying to avoid six-lane pools. "Competitions have a much higher pace, there is greater space. Six-lane pools are built more for recreational purposes, which is the case in Nové Město na Moravě," said Ryška. The city, however, insists that the planned pool fully meets the requirements for competitions held in Znojmo.

The architectural study was developed by the Brno office Burian-Křivinka. According to Kyněra, architect Aleš Burian was also an advocate for the eight-lane variant. "I conveyed my opinion to the mayor. Znojmo is a city that knows how to raise top swimmers. But it is a significant investment and the city has some priorities; it decides and pays," Burian told ČTK.

When the pool will be built and how the city will finance it is not yet clear.