The new pool offers Olympic-size facilities

The £32m facility has replaced the old Empire pool demolished 10 years ago to make way for the Millennium Stadium.

It is the second new Olympic-sized pool in Wales after the National Pool opened in Swansea in 2003.

The pool is one of a number of sporting facilities being built at the ISV in Cardiff Bay ahead of the 2012 Olympics.

The pool is the centrepiece of the £1b ISV which aims to provide Olympic standard sporting facilities for judo, wrestling, boxing and fencing, gymnastics, white water events and other activities.

Cardiff Council leader, Cllr Rodney Berman, said the new pool gave the city a "magnificent aquatics centre".

The complex comprises a 50m, 10-lane international competition swimming pool and a separate 25m four-lane leisure pool including a family water area with four flume rides.

Construction of the building, which also has spectator seating for 1,000 people as well as a gym and other leisure facilities, began in April 2006.

Regeneration

Welsh Olympic medal-winning swimmer David Davies, who is training for this year's Beijing Olympics, welcomed the pool's opening.

He said: "We've waited a long time for it and it's great that it's finally opening. Cardiff's a great city and it does deserve a great facility like this.

"It's great for Welsh swimming and hopefully it will get more people involved in swimming and help them perform at all levels."