On 10 October 2026, at the Olympic City Aquatic Centre in Tashkent, Egor Kornev touched the wall in 21.28 to set a new world record in the 50m butterfly at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup. It was the 200th world record set in a Myrtha pool.
“The ongoing Swimming World Cup has shown the world what is possible when the world’s best swimmers compete in world-class pools, with World and Continental records falling across Baku and Tashkent.” — Brent Nowicki, World Aquatics CEO.
"Two hundred world records is not a number we set out to reach. It is the result of athletes who trust the water they race in, and of thirty years of working with World Aquatics to make the best pools for the best swimmers." — Roberto Colletto, Myrtha Pools CEO.
The number is striking when set against the history. The first world record in one of its pools came on 1 June 1995, at the aquatic centre in Canet-en-Roussillon (France) when Russia’s Denys Pankratov set a mark in the 200m butterfly. A stroke of fate, perhaps: another Russian, in the same stroke, has now set the 200th.
The record in numbers
In the world of swimming competition, Myrtha pools are often known as temporary installations for events. The record books tell a different story: more than 40% were set in permanent Myrtha pools, including the first and 200th.
It is true, however, that the exclusive Myrtha modular technology has let organisers of major sport events – from World Aquatics championships and the Olympic Games to the US Trials and European Aquatics championships – bring large crowds to swimming by installing pools in big arenas. Myrtha has built competition pools in soccer and football stadiums, such as the Prater stadium in Vienna and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. It has also built them in some of the world’s largest indoor venues, from Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas to the Paris La Défense Arena, and in the Aspire Dome in Doha, designed by architect Roger Taillibert. Perhaps the most unusual installation was the one built in 1995 for the World Short Course Championships on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro.
Those pools were later dismantled and permanently reinstalled in community aquatic centres for citizens and young athletes, thus ensuring the legacy of venues associated with previous major sport events.
Whether temporary or permanent, what stays the same is the reliability of a Myrtha pool and the water circulation conditions that have allowed athletes from every continent to set 200 world records.
A long-standing partnership
World records have been set in Myrtha pools in 20 countries across four continents. Australia leads with 28, thanks both to the many competitions it hosts and to a national team performing at an extraordinary level. The United States follows with 27 and Canada with 24.
A total of 122 world records were broken in a Myrtha pool built for World Aquatics competitions, which is a testament to the strong partnership between the Italian company and the world's leading swimming organisation.
“Through this Silk Road Tour, World Aquatics and its partners have helped inspire future champions and we look forward to seeing how these facilities continue to serve growing swimming communities for years to come.
Myrtha has been a trusted partner to World Aquatics for many years and their expertise matters for the growth of our sport. Together, we are strengthening the future of aquatic sports and we are delighted to celebrate this latest milestone in our successful partnership." — Brent Nowicki, World Aquatics CEO.
About Myrtha Pools: Thanks to a continuous commitment to research into cutting-edge technologies and applications, Myrtha Pools, founded in 1961, has established itself as the leading manufacturer of stainless steel pools for all uses - including competition, fitness, leisure, and wellness. In 1987, Myrtha Pools built and installed its first swimming pool for an international sporting event. Since then, the company has supplied pools for numerous major competitions, from World Aquatics Championships to the Olympic Games - confident that the excellence of Myrtha’s technology helps ensure their success.
As an official partner of World Aquatics since 2009, and with 200 World Records set in its pools, Myrtha has become the global benchmark for competition swimming facilities. At the same time, children and students around the world experience the unique value of sport and the health benefits of aquatic exercise in Myrtha pools installed in schools and community centres. For over six decades, Myrtha Pools has offered architects around the world innovative and reliable solutions for swimming pools and aquatic environments. Today, exporting to more than 70 countries, Myrtha is also at the forefront of sustainability, developing technologies to reduce CO₂ emissions and contributing to products that meet leading international certifications, including LEED, BREEAM, and Green Star.
