With its two large concrete pilasters that give it the stature of a Doric temple and its pediment bearing the five Olympic rings, the Georges-Vallerey pool makes an impression as soon as you enter. Inaugurated in 1924 for the Paris Olympic Games, this emblematic pool in the 20th arrondissement, located above the Place des Lilas, recently reconnected with its past: It was one of the training pools for the Paris 2024 Olympics. With the water temperature set at 27°C, a reduced staff and security provided by France’s foreign intelligence agency, the DGSE (whose offices are next door), the pool’s brand-new director, Christopher Sadones, was unlikely to forget the logistics involved in the event.
“Léon Marchand trained in lane 4,” he said. “My only regret is that I didn’t dare ask him for a photo.” A former lifeguard, water polo player and coach, Sadones, a high-level athlete, is a fitting reflection of this competition pool. Throughout the year, his 50-meter pool attracts strong swimmers from the neighborhood and beyond, some of whom are members of the SCUF (Sporting Club Universitaire de France), whose swimming division is one of the most renowned in Paris.
“Here, you can see some truly beautiful freestyles,” confirmed the creator of the Instagram account Nageuse Parisienne, dedicated to Paris’ swimming pools, who is a regular at the facility and wishes to remain anonymous. “There are those who slap the water with their hands, those who slice through it as if trying to part it. Some movements are quick, others slow and very elongated.” The Georges-Vallerey pool boasts another major asset: its large retractable roof, which takes just six minutes to open when the outdoor temperature reaches 25°C, adding a cheerful, seaside feeling to its sporting atmosphere.
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