Swimmers complain water too cold, visibility poor

MELBOURNE: Swimmers at the world championships are complaining that the warm-up pool is too cold, while others have hit out at poor water visibility in the competition venue.

Australian backstroker Matt Welsh said he was 'numb' and 'shaking' after his 30-minute warm-up on Monday and claimed the pool temperature, believed to be as low as 25 degrees Celsius, was causing slower race times.

"As you swim along you're slowly getting numb so it's very cold," he said.

"It's just hard to relax and get your energy back because all your energy is going into trying to get yourself warm."

Others have questioned the visibility and quality of the water in the main temporary pool in Rod Laver Arena.

"It's pretty dark out there and the water is pretty murky, so it surprised me a bit when I dived in," Australian breaststroker Brenton Rickard was quoted as saying in the Melbourne Age newspaper.

His teammate Michael Klim added, "My goggles were murky too. I don't know if it was the pool or the goggles."

Organisers said they were working to increase the warm-up pool temperature by at least three degrees, while the main pool's makers, AstralPool, have been asked to investigate the visibility concerns.

Australian head coach Alan Thompson said he was confident the pool problems would not affect the swimming.

"I'm assured by the organising committee all is in order and the temperature will rise," he said.