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Life in the slow lane
• AS a swimmer, my choice of local pools is currently limited while the Kentish Town baths are being refurbished, and after a period away from it, I have recently tried swimming again at Swiss Cottage pool – only to be reminded why I gave up on it in the first place.
The problem is simply that the lanes are too narrow!
They are the same width as a single competition lane, which is designed for a single swimmer.
However, we are expected to swim circuits, passing swimmers coming back the other way at a hair’s breadth.
In my opinion, the problem would be solved by making six of the competition lanes into four lanes for circuits, composed of one and a half competition lanes each.
However, having raised the matter with the centre’s manager, he has told me that this will increase the risk of injury as swimmers will not know who has got the right of way to overtake.
He also told me that if swimmers are wishing to overtake then the “recreational assistants” (whatever happened to lifeguards?) are not doing their job correctly as they are meant to direct swimmers to lanes that correspond to their speed.
There are too many arguments against these points to list here, so I shall instead repeat my first point – whether overtaking happens or not, a single competition lane is too narrow to expect people swimming laps to try to pass each other safely.
I would like to know whether I am the only one who feels this way, and if not, please write to Greenwich Leisure yourselves (visit gll.org.uk) to get this sorted out.
If others agree with me, we must not let them think we believe this is an acceptable model to be repeated at other pools, especially Kentish Town when it reopens.
Mark Waghorn
Savernake Road, NW3
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