"The Dirtiest Secret"... The Underwater 'Action' All Swimmers Do [Paris Olympics]

WSJ "Players Commonly 'Relieve Themselves' in Water"
Due to Difficult-to-Remove Competitive Swimsuits

It is basic etiquette that no one should urinate in swimming pool water, but according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 26th (local time), none of the world's top swimmers competing in the Olympics follow this rule.

WSJ reported that every swimmer participating in the Olympics urinates in the pool at the Paris La D?fense Arena where the competitions are held, calling it the "dirtiest secret" of the Olympic games.

On the morning of the 23rd (local time), three days before the opening of the 2024 Paris Olympics, athletes are training at the La D?fense Arena in Paris, France, where the swimming competitions will be held.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

There are good reasons why athletes have no choice but to 'relieve themselves' in the pool instead of using the restroom. Swimmers wear tight-fitting competition swimsuits that compress their muscles during events. These suits help reduce water resistance but are difficult to put on and take off due to their strong compression. A bigger problem is that athletes must continue to hydrate until just before their events to maintain their condition. This means they need to use the restroom frequently, but it can take up to 20 minutes to remove and put the swimsuit back on. Therefore, rather than spending time and effort taking off and putting on the suit after using the restroom, it is much more efficient to simply 'go' while still wearing it.

In fact, many athletes with Olympic experience have admitted to urinating in the pool. Lilly King (USA), a breaststroke gold medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics and competing in her third Olympics this time, said, "I probably urinated in every pool I competed in. That's just how it is." Katie Hoff, who represented the USA at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics, recalled seeing a teammate urinate on the floor while waiting before a World Championship event. Hoff said, "It literally ran down the legs and pooled on the floor," adding, "It might be disgusting to outsiders, but there is a lot of chlorine in the pool water, so you don't really think about it."

Even though athletes have become accustomed to urinating underwater, there are 'unspoken rules' such as not doing so when others are nearby. Brian Spear, who was responsible for water quality management at the swimming pool where the US Olympic trials were held, told WSJ that during the nine-day trials with 1,000 athletes competing, he constantly adjusted the pH and chlorine levels to keep the pool water clean.

Meanwhile, a past study in Canada found that urine was detected in all 31 swimming pools surveyed. In 2017, researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada measured the amount of urine in pool water by analyzing the concentration of artificial sweeteners, specifically ACE, which are detected in human urine. The results showed that pools about one-third the size of Olympic-standard pools contained an average of 75 liters of urine. A US survey found that one in five Americans admitted to urinating in pools, and swimmer Michael Phelps also acknowledged urinating in pool water.

When urine combines with chlorine, the disinfectant in pool water, it can produce toxic chemicals such as cyanogen chloride and nitrogen trichloride. These substances irritate the respiratory system, worsening conditions like asthma, and also cause irritation to the eyes and skin. Therefore, as we know, it is absolutely forbidden to urinate in swimming pool water.