At 24, Blake Pieroni has seen his fair share of swimming pools around the world. But the American competitive swimmer has a special fondness for the OCBC Aquatic Centre at the Singapore Sports Hub. After all, it was in its blue waters that Pieroni achieved the best 200m freestyle time of his career: a cool 1:41.15. That timing helped the 1.88m-tall swimmer clinch fifth place at last year’s FINA Swimming World Cup – a personal best, he notes proudly.
This year, Pieroni is hoping to use his success at the OCBC Aquatic Centre as a springboard for the FINA World Championships in South Korea. He returned here as part of his training for the July games. “It’s great to be back,” says Pieroni in the middle of his gruelling training routine, that includes up to two long-distance swims a day.
It’s a routine that the OCBC Aquatic Centre’s many facilities support, he adds. “It’s amazing – I mean, two 50m pools right next to each other, the 25m pool nearby,” he tells Here to Play. I think I had such a good World Cup last year because the facilities were so nice.” These facilities extend to those outside the water as well, he adds. “There’s a deck space, a little gym area right next to the diving well… there are so many options for my different training days.” Having this variety helps professional swimmers like Pieroni, as some of his training days involve more time in the water, while others require more training on dry ground.
Did You Know
Blake is quite glued to Pokemon GO, having climbed to level 22 just two months after the game came out. Good news for him, then, that the Singapore Sports Hub is home to a PokeGym.
Catch Blake Pieroni at the upcoming FINA Swimming World Cup Singapore 2019 from 15-17 August. For tickets please click here.
