Santa Clara’s International Swim Center Closed Indefinitely For Repairs

By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

The City of Santa Clara has abruptly closed the George F. Haines International Swim Center (ISC) indefinitely for repairs, leaving Santa Clara Swim Club members searching for lane space.

Last Friday, swimmers showed up to practice only to be locked out of the facility, with a sign outside of the pool saying it is closed “until further notice” due to facility conditions.

The pool is closed due to mechanical issues, according to the city website.

“We were not expecting to be out overnight,” Santa Clara Swim Club head coach Kevin Zacher said, according to told local outlet KRON4.

“We did actually have people show up for training on Friday morning to the signs and couldn’t get in and that created a little bit of a panic.”

Santa Clara Swim Club practices and lap swim options have been shifted to the Mary Gomez Swim Center, which is just over half a mile away from the ISC.

However, unlike the ISC, which is equipped with a 50-meter pool, a training pool just shy of 25 meters and a diving well, the Mary Gomez facility only has six lanes.

On Wednesday, Zacher told SwimSwam that the Mary Gomez Swim Center is “not sufficient” for all of the club’s needs.

The ISC, named after the founding coach of the Santa Clara Swim Club, George F. Haines, became a staple of the domestic calendar in the United States as it served as host to the last Grand Prix meet in late June and would attract several high-level international swimmers from around the globe to come and get a final tuneup before the Olympics or World Championships.

Although it’s no longer on the official USA Swimming circuit (now the Pro Swim Series but formerly Grand Prix), the George Haines International Swim Meet still runs annually in June.

In 2003, Michael Phelps broke the world record in the men’s 200 IM at the meet, clocking 1:57.94 to lower the nine-year-old mark of 1:58.16 established by Finland’s Jani Sievinen in 1994.

Last summer, however, the meet was moved to the Frank Fiscalini International Swim Center in San Jose due to a broken heater at the ISC.

The City of Santa Clara had a group of consultants take a look at the pool in August, according to Santa Clara News, and on Jan. 14, the consultant team met with City Manager Jovan Grogan and Assistant City Manager/Acting Director of the Parks and Recreation Department Cynthia Bojorquez.

“The consultant team recommended that the facility not be used until such time repairs or replacement could be implemented that address safety and structural concerns noted in their report,” Janine De la Vega, the City’s Chief Public Information Officer, said, according to Santa Clara News.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the City Manager directed staff to close the facility immediately pending the completion and presentation of the consultant’s final report.

“At this point, the length of the closure is unknown and dependent upon further review of the assessment findings.”

The Santa Clara Swim Club is currently home to 14-year-old Mia Su, a 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier in the women’s 200 breast (2:31.01), along with several other rising age group names including another 14-year-old standout, Shareef Elaydi.

Last year, the club set multiple National Age Group relay records.

Zacher said the club hopes to get more information on the timeframe of the closure at an upcoming council meeting on Jan. 30.

SwimSwam: Santa Clara’s International Swim Center Closed Indefinitely For Repairs