Have you ever wondered why short course (25m) swimming is so much faster than racing in a long course (50m) pool? See why short course is faster than long course! The Olympic sized swimming pool is gold standard in international competition. Times recorded in a Long Course (50 meters) pool are considered the most respectable in the swimming community. When you look at the best swimmers in the world, their times in Short Course (25 meters or 25 yards) are significantly faster.