Almonte, Ont., man leaves good luck charm in Rio Olympic pool

An Almonte, Ont., man who helped install the Olympic pools in Rio de Janeiro left a good luck charm behind for Canadian athletes — a toonie in the lining of the competition pool.

Andrew Tiffany said he was inspired by stories of Canadian coins frozen into the ice during previous winter Olympics.

"We ended up putting a toonie underneath the competition pool just to give our athletes a little taste of home while they're in the water," Andrew Tiffany told CBC News.

​Tiffany's company, Sustainable Aquatic Systems, specializes in the finishing work of competition pools, including pool lining, structures, filtration and plumbing.

The work has taken him around the globe, including to London to prepare for the 2012 Olympics — and it all began with his father.

Trevor Tiffany is the former head coach of Canada's swim team. After the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, the swim coach dove into the swimming pool business.

"He found a great middle ground to stay involved with everything," Andrew Tiffany said, noting that as a child he got to attend the Olympics because of his father's work.

It was also his father who encouraged him to start his own business eight years ago, he said.

Rain, heat challenge construction

Tiffany's work on the Olympic pools in Rio began in October 2015.

"We had a lot of rain delays. With the rain came a bit of flooding, especially in the excavated areas where the pools were being installed," he said. "If it wasn't raining, it was deadly, deadly hot outside."

Despite the challenges, he and his crew finished the job in time for the games, which kicked off earlier this week.

You get to see what was just a drawing come to fruition.- Andrew Tiffany

"There's no delaying like there would be in a township or a municipal pool," he said. 

"The biggest difference is the pressure to get things done on time — and get things done right, because we really don't have a second chance."

Now that the work is done, Tiffany is now taking time to relax in his own backyard pool in Almonte — but he said he'll be keeping an eye on Rio.

"You get to see what was just a drawing come to fruition. It's nice to see that," he said. "There is a bit of pride that goes into it once you see it on television. It's a good feeling."