Many top swimmers are going slower than expected in the Olympic pool. Is it too shallow?

NANTERRE, France (AP) — The atmosphere for Olympic swimming is electrifying.

The times?

Not so much.

Through the first four days of competition in the portable pool at La Defense Arena, no world records were set.

That finally changed in the final race Wednesday night when Pan Zhanle of China broke his own mark in the men’s 100-meter freestyle. Still, most of the best swimmers in the world are clocking slower-than-expected times.

The culprit appears to be a pool that is slightly shallower than the optimal depth, which allows a couple of extra rows of prime deck-side seats to remain in use but creates more waves and turbulence rolling up to the surface.

“I’ve heard the rumblings, but at the end of the day we’re here to race,” said American star Katie Ledecky, who picked up her first gold medal of the Games with a dominating win in the 1,500 freestyle. “We’re all fast swimmers. We make the pool as fast as we want it to be. I’m not really thinking about it.”

Going forward, World Aquatics has mandated a minimum depth of 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) for swimming and water polo events, such as the portable pool that will be installed inside SoFi Stadium for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

But when the Olympics were awarded to Paris, the temporary facility was approved under previous guidelines that allowed for a depth of 2.2 meters (7.2 feet).

For perspective, a 3-meter (9.8 feet) pool is considered the optimal depth. At the U.S. trials in Indianapolis, where the portable pool installed in Lucas Oil Stadium was around 2.8 meters (9.1 feet), two world records were set.

Torin Koos, a spokesman for World Aquatics, noted that numerous Olympic records have been set — nine through the first 20 events at La Defense Arena.

Indeed, no one is griping much. Everyone is competing under the same conditions, so it's not like anyone has an advantage. For the most part, the favored swimmers are coming out on top.

“I try not to pay attention to it just because we’re all in the same pool," said American Katie Grimes, who claimed a silver in the 400-meter individual medley. "I mean, regardless if it’s a slow pool or not, it’s not going to affect just one person. It’s affecting everybody.”

Everyone has raved about the raucous setting, more than 15,000 strong for every session in an indoor stadium that is normally used by the famed rugby club Racing 92. The crowds are loud and boisterous, especially when French star Leon Marchand dives in the water.

“It doesn’t matter whether I’m racing here in in Paris or at a local country pool in South Australia,” Aussie sprinter Kyle Chalmers said. “It’s all about winning that race in the pool. Everyone has the same opportunity. Everyone has a lane. We’re all swimming in the same pool. It’s not like some people are sending their times in from the trials or anything like that.”

Chalmers doesn't believe the pool is entirely to blame for the slower-than-expected races.

“There’s a lot of pressure and expectation that people put on themselves,” he said. “A lot of people haven’t swam in the Olympics before. I think the nervous energy of having like (15,000 fans) in the stadium is crazy. I personally love it, but I think people do definitely crack under that pressure.”

Still, the times are a bit jarring.

Summer McIntosh blew away Grimes and the rest of the field in the 400 IM, but the 17-year-old Canadian went more than three seconds slower than her world-record showing at her country's Olympic trials in May.

David Popovici of Romania captured gold in the men's 200 freestyle with a time of 1 minute, 44.72 seconds, the slowest by an Olympic champion in that event since Pieter van den Hoogenband at the 2000 Sydney Games.

Then there's Nicolò Martinenghi of Italy, whose gold-medal time of 59.03 in the 100 breaststroke would not have been good enough to claim a medal of any color at the last two Summer Games. It was the slowest winning performance since Japan's Kosuke Kitajima two decades ago at the Athens Olympics.

At least one swimming world record has been set at every Olympics in the post-World War II era, and it's common for multiple marks to fall.

A whopping 23 world records were set at the 2008 Beijing Games, when the sport was in the midst of the rubber-suit revolution. The following year, at the world championships in Rome, a staggering 43 marks were established, leading the world governing body to impose strict new rules governing body coverage and fabrics.

Since then, the pace of world records has returned to more customary levels, with several marks from those 2009 worlds still on the books. But it's generally assumed that most everyone will be at their best when an Olympic year rolls around, which usually leads to a spirited assault on the record list.

Nine world records were set at London in 2012, eight more fell at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro and a half-dozen were broken at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games three years ago, when swimmers competed in a mostly empty arena because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The lack of fans hasn't been an issue in Paris, where the cacophony of a large arena filled to the rafters with passionate supporters has given everyone an extra push.

Not quite enough to call for a rewrite to the record book, but Chalmers and others don't really seem to mind.

“It doesn’t matter about times,” the Aussie said. “It’s about getting your hand on the wall first and winning the race. The times are never really all that remembered.”

AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Australian swimmers and coaches check out the pool at La Defense Arena ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Katie Grimes, of the United States, competes during a heat in the women's 1500-meter freestyle at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Kyle Chalmers, of Australia, competes during the men's 100-meter freestyle semifinal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Kyle Chalmers, of Australia, competes during the men's 100-meter freestyle semifinal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Nicolo Martinenghi, of Italy, celebrates after winning the men's 100-meter breaststroke final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Summer McIntosh, of Canada, competes during a heat in the women's 200-meter butterfly at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Regan Smith, of the United States, competes during a heat in the women's 200-meter butterfly at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Nicolo Martinenghi, of Italy, competes in the men's 100-meter breaststroke final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Summer McIntosh, front, of Canada, and Zhang Yufei, rear, of China, arrive for a heat in the women's 200-meter butterfly at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

The Paris Police Prefecture, foreground, the Eiffel Tower, background left, and Paris La Defense Arena, background, are seen in Paris, France, before the opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Julien de Rosa/Pool Photo via AP)

Tatjana Smith, of South Africa, competes during a heat in the women's 200-meter breaststrokeat the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

David Popovici, of Romania, competes during a heat in the men's 100-meter freestyle at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Summer McIntosh, of Canada, competes during a heat in the women's 200-meter butterfly at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jose Tena had two hits including a home run, Patrick Corbin pitched six innings and the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 4-1 on Saturday.

Joey Gallo and Juan Yepez also homered for Washington, which has won three of four, and Keibert Ruiz had two hits.

Corbin (6-13) allowed a run on three hits with a walk and six strikeouts. He didn't allow a hit after the second inning and retired 13 of his last 15 batters. Corbin has won four of his past five starts, two of them against the Marlins, and has lowered his ERA by nearly half a run to 5.45.

“I think I've just kind of located a lot better, have gotten some more strikeouts which helps, keeps the ball out of the infield or out of the outfield where they can get hits,” Corbin said. “Not walking as many guys. Just a combination of all that and locating fastball and not really getting beat on that pitch as much."

Kyle Finnegan pitched the ninth for his 38th save, third most in the majors.

Otto Lopez had two hits and the lone RBI for the Marlins, who have lost five of six.

Miami starter Valente Bellozo (2-4) gave up three runs on six hits — two of them homers — over 5 1/3 innings.

“I thought he was good,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said of Bellozo. “Lot of strikes. Kept us in the game. The solo home run we can always live with. It's the walks and that type of thing that gets us trouble but I thought he didn't do any of that. He did really well."

Gallo tied the score 1-1 in the bottom of the second when he sent a 2-0 Bellozo pitch into the second deck in right.

Washington took a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Tena singled, stole second and scored on Ruiz's single over the first-base bag.

Tena made it 3-1 with one-out home run in the sixth, ending Bellozo's day.

“He’s a very, very good player overall, but a very good hitter,” Gallo said of Tena. “To hit that ball out ... it was like a curveball down and away and he’s able to hit it out to right center.”

Tena, 23, is 13-for-36 (.361) in his past nine games, hitting safely in eight of them. Since joining the Nationals on Aug. 10 from Triple-A Rochester he leads the team with 12 multi-hit games.

Yepez homered in the eighth.

The youthful Nationals are last in the National League with 125 homers in 148 games.

“We're hoping that some of these guys as they get more mature will be able to drive the ball a little bit more consistently,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “Right now it's just about working good at-bats, trying not to chase, teaching them how to get the ball in the zone more than anything.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: RHP Sandy Alcantara (Tommy John surgery) threw a bullpen session Saturday and is slated to throw live batting practice Tuesday in Miami.

Nationals: SS CJ Abrams missed his second straight game with a sore left shoulder.

UP NEXT

Miami RHP Adam Oller (1-3, 5.40 ERA) opposes Washington LHP MacKenzie Gore (8-12, 4.34), who allowed one run on one hit in six innings against the Marlins on Sept. 4, to close the series.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Miami Marlins starting pitcher Valente Bellozo throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Miami Marlins' Jonah Bride runs towards home to score a run on a single by Otto Lopez during the second inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals' Joey Gallo celebrates his home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals' Juan Yepez takes a lead from first base during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals shortstop Nasim Nunez leaps for a ball that went for a single by Miami Marlins' Javier Sanoja during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals shortstop Nasim Nunez blows a bubble as he stands on the field during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Patrick Corbin throws during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Patrick Corbin throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)