We've just held our Olympic Trials here in the UK. People noticed that the lanes were numbered 'the wrong way round.' Here's the response from British Swimming...
Judging from the number of emails received many of you spotted the deliberate mistake at the Aquatics Centre in London. The pool was numbered the wrong way round- lane 0 was the first lane on the left when facing the course from the starting end of the pool! SW 3.1.2 states lane 0 being on the right side of the pool when facing the course from the starting end.
Why? The Media Centre for television at the Aquatics Centre is situated on the East side of the competition pool where one would expect lane 0 to appear. The BBC is the host broadcaster and uses software to televise from a camera placed adjacent to lane 9 therefore they requested the pool to be numbered in reverse. FINA agreed to this change and I have been advised that the lanes will also be so numbered at the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
They did the same thing at the recent Duel in the Pool. And you will usually see this at any large televised competition with one set of stands where the starting end is house right.
