The Poseidon Swimming Foundation has gone to Olympian lengths to acquire the two pools that will be used for its new aquatics center in Chesterfield County.

Poseidon today said it has purchased the two pools that will be used during the U.S. Olympic trials, which start June 29 in Omaha, Neb.

The pools -- a 50-meter competition pool and a 50-meter plus 25-meter off-shoot, warm-up pool -- will be used by U.S. swimmers hoping to qualify to advance to Beijing for the 2008 Summer Games.

Once the trials are finished, the pools will be transported from Omaha and permanently installed at the new sports complex being developed by Poseidon and the Richmond Kickers Youth Soccer Club at Chippenham Parkway and Iron Bridge Road.

The complex will include an aquatics center with seating for more than 850 people, four lighted turf soccer fields and two lighted natural grass fields.

"The acquisition of these special pools brings our vision of a community sports complex closer to reality," Mary Doswell, president of the Poseidon Swimming Foundation, said this morning. "This complex, which will include world-class swimming and soccer facilities, will provide a place for our area youth to extend the development of the mind, body and spirit."

Poseidon and the Kickers announced in late January that they were going to Chesterfield after abandoning plans to build a sports complex near The Diamond along North Boulevard in Richmond. One week earlier, the Class AAA Richmond Braves had announced that they also were giving up any hopes of getting a new stadium along North Boulevard and would leave Richmond after this season for a new stadium in the Atlanta suburbs.

The Braves and Doswell cited the same reasons for giving up on plans for new facilities in Richmond: uncertainty and delays in dealing with city officials.

Poseidon and the Kickers have settled instead on developing a 34-acre Chesterfield site, where the aquatics center will be located at the end of Ridgedale Parkway at Chippenham Crossing.

The purchase price for the pools was not disclosed. The pools, manufactured by Myrtha Pools U.S.A./A&T Europe S.p.a., are made of stainless steel and PVC.

The aquatics center will allow the capital region to host state, regional and national swimming competitions.

"Chesterfield County is thrilled to have Myrtha's 2008 Olympic Trials pools to complement this new aquatics facility," said Chesterfield County Supervisor James M. "Jim" Holland, who represents the Dale District, where the center is being developed. "I am excited that this regional sports complex will allow both Poseidon and the Kickers to continue teaching life skills, teamwork and character development to children through active participation in youth sports." Contact Joe Macenka at (804) 649-6804 or jmacenka@timesdispatch.com.