Indianapolis considering bid for 2016 Olympic swimming trials - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Indianapolis is eyeing the 2016 Olympic Trials for swimming. The city has hosted it in the past, but it's grown considerably since then and needs a larger venue than the IUPUI Natatorium.

While the Indiana Sports Corp. isn't saying much about bidding on the trials, John Dedman confirms officials have met with met with USA Swimming. He said given the trials are a marquee event, "we'd be foolish not to investigate."

In addition, Sports Corp sent several representatives to this year's meet in Omaha, which also hosted the trials in 2008 at the 13,200-seat CenturyLink Center.

According to published reports, Jacksonville, FLA, Greensboro, NC and Louisville, KY are also among the 16 cities USA Swimming has talked to about hosting the 2016 trials.

Indy has hosted the meet six times, the first time in 1924 at the old Broad Ripple pool, where Tarzan's Johnny Weismuller swam. The last time was 12 years ago at the Natatorium, where Eldon Marshall swims.

Marshall attended the trials in 2000.

"I thought it was extremely exciting. You got to see some big-name swimmers. It was a real thrill," he said.

Julie McKenney, director of the Natatorium, shared that enthusiasm.

"Obviously the trials a few years back outgrew their home here, but if they come back it would be phenomenal," McKenney said.

USA Swimming has said it wants up to a 15,000-seat venue to accommodate the sport's growing popularity. Omaha and Long Beach, Calif., the previous host, built temporary pools.

Indianapolis built a temporary pool at Conseco Fieldhouse in 2004 for the world swimming championships. It was a short-course or 25-meter pool. The Olympic trials require a 50-meter competition pool and a 50-meter practice pool, which McKenney and others say would be best-suited at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Dedman said the Sports Corp wants to see the bid specs before diving in. USA Swimming has said bids will be taken in the fall with a decision expected next spring.

Mckenney said given the Super Bowl and everything else Indianapolis has hosted over the years, "I have no doubt we'd knock it out of the park and have a wonderful event."

David Lewis, a master swimmer at the Nat, agreed, "I think of Indianapolis and its swimming history and it's sort of sad to see (the trials) in Omaha, just as a competitive thing. If they put it together it would be fun."