The Olympic Aquatic Centre set up for water polo, as seen from the stands

The Olympic Aquatic Centre is a complex at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex, consisting of two outdoor pools and one indoor pool, that was built for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The larger of the outdoor pools, which seats 11,500 spectators, hosted swimming and water polo events. The smaller pool, which hosted synchronized swimming, sat 5,300 fans. The indoor pool, which hosted the diving events, sat 6,200 observers.

The outdoor pool was the subject of significant controversy during the run-up to the Olympic games. A roof that was intended to shield the swimmers from the blazing Athens sun had to be scrapped, leaving the athletes and most of the fans without shade during the events; however, during the course of the games, there were no major complaints made by the athletes regarding the facility, nor was there any mention of the lack of a roof affecting athletes' performances - many Olympic and world records were broken and/or set in this FINA-approved, world-class venue.