Team GB to Stage at Stanford Prior to 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games

Team Great Britain has announced that it will hold its staging camps prior to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics at Stanford University.

It has become standard for countries around the world to stage their pre-Olympic training camps in places with similar time zones to the host of the Olympic Games to allow their athletes the chance to adjust their internal body clocks.

The plan goes beyond just swimming, encompassing archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, cricket, diving, fencing, football, gymnastics, hockey, judo, lacrosse, rugby 7s, squash, table tennis, water polo, and weightlifting.

Official dates have not yet been revealed, though around 300 athletes from Team GB are expected to use the facilities.

“We pride ourselves in providing the best possible preparation for our athletes at the Olympic Games and in securing Stanford University’s facilities I can quite honestly say that we will have access to the very best preparation camp facilities that Team GB could wish to have in the United States,” Team GB CEO Andy Anson said.

“The co-operation with Stanford has been excellent throughout, and we are thrilled to be partnering with one of the world’s most prestigious universities, ahead of what will be an iconic Olympic Games, just as it was in 1984.”

On a podcast with Business of Sport in late February, two-time Olympic champion Matt Richards said the swim team will hold a camp at Stanford this May as a dry run, a chance to get their bearings between the Aquatics GB Championships in April and the Commonwealth Games and European Championships in late July and early August.

The Avery Aquatics Center has played host to several domestic aquatic events over the past two decades. It hosted the 2004 and 2008 U.S. Olympic Swimming teams prior to the Olympics, the National Duet Championships in 2004 and 2011, the 2006 Masters World Championships, 2007 USA Diving National Championships, 2009 U.S. Synchro National Championships, and 2019 Summer Nationals.

The facility encompasses a main 37-meter pool (which hosts the school’s athletic competitions), as well as two adjacent 50-meter pools. The Belardi Pool is 50 meters x 25 meters with a depth tapered to 11 feet in the center, while the Baker Pool is 50 meters x 25 yards with depth that varies from 4 1/2 to 8 1/2 feet.