Published: 9 August, 2012
by TOM FOOT

THE world’s fastest long distance swimmer has been training at Parliament Hill Lido ahead of his Olympic showdown on Saturday

Alex Meyer, USA team-mate of the greatest ever Olympian, Michael Phelps, specialises in open water and long-distance races.

He won gold in the 2010 World Championships in the 25 kilometre discipline and said he was loving his new training pool.

“It’s great,” he said. “It’s a long pool – longer than 50 metres – and the water is a similar temperature to Hyde Park, where the 10km final is due to take place.

“It’s the first time I’ve swum in a steel-lined pool and I love the way the light reflects back up at you when you’re swimming.”

Glyn Roberts, the City of London Corporation’s team leader at the Parliament Hill Lido, said it was “incredible” to have an Olympian in the Lido.
“I’ve seen so many professional swimmers in the 20 years I’ve worked at the Lido,” he said, “but Alex’s freestyle put me, and others, in awe. He was in a different class.”

The Grade II listed Lido, run by the City of London Corporation, had a stainless steel pool liner installed in 2005.