# Olympic star races locals at Hobart pool's grand reopening

> Glenorchy War Memorial pool opens after three years and seven point five million dollars in repairs, with Olympic bronze medallist Max Giuliani taking on all comers.
- Title: Olympic star races locals at Hobart pool's grand reopening
- Summary: Glenorchy War Memorial pool opens after three years and seven point five million dollars in repairs, with Olympic bronze medallist Max Giuliani taking on all…
- Keywords: glenorchy war memorial pool, hobart, max giuliani, pool reopening, tasmania, swimming, news, politics, Olympic, star, races, locals
- Source: Abc — https://abc.net.au/news/2026-10-03/glenorchy-war-memorial-pool-reopens-in-hobart/107221584
- Published: 2026-10-03T06:44:40+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: glenorchy war memorial pool, hobart, max giuliani, pool reopening, tasmania, swimming, news, politics
## Pool closes after safety issues found
Built in the nineteen sixties and dedicated to World War II service members, Glenorchy War Memorial pool in Hobart closed in two thousand twenty-three after an independent report identified faults in the pool shell, structural issues with the concrete grandstand, and urgent electrical switchboard updates needed.
## Community rallies to reopen the pool
The pool faced long-term closure, but the community rallied to keep it open. After three years and seven point five million dollars in repairs, Glenorchy War Memorial pool reopened on Saturday, October third, just in time for summer.
## Mayor hails extraordinary repair effort
Glenorchy Mayor Sue Hickey said the work had been extensive. Staff worked late into the night cleaning and preparing the facility. She said the community had missed their pool for three long summers and now had it back in all its glory.

> It's been three long summers that [the community has] missed their pool and now they have it back in all its glory.
## Olympic medallist races locals at opening
Olympic bronze medallist and Tasmanian local Max Giuliani raced against visitors at Saturday's celebrations. Giuliani said he had lost a few races that day and there were prospective Olympians among the swimmers.

> I've lost a few races today. There's been a couple of guys that I didn't think would be very good at swimming - I've given them 25 metres ahead of me and they've smoked me to the wall.
## Barbecue feeds hundreds at celebration
Glenorchy City Council alderman Steve King worked the barbecue, which proved so popular that volunteers made a quick dash to the supermarket. More than six hundred sausages were cooked during the day's festivities.
## Council pursues eighty-four million dollar aquatic centre
While celebrating the reopening, Mayor Sue Hickey said the pool was not a forever fix. The council is pursuing financial backing for a new aquatic centre costed at eighty-four million dollars, as the current facility is very old.

> We do know that in the future we have a desperate need for a full aquatic centre.
## Key takeaway

Glenorchy War Memorial pool in Hobart reopened Saturday after three years of closure and seven point five million dollars in repairs, drawing hundreds of visitors and Olympic bronze medallist Max Giuliani for racing events.