Olympian Accused of Vandalizing Washington’s Reflecting Pool, Denies Wrongdoing

Tue Jun 23 2026 18:42:10 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A 67‑year‑old former Olympian claims he was wrongly arrested for touching paint at the Reflecting Pool, sparking a debate over its recent renovation.

Former Olympian Davey Hearn, 67, was detained after finishing a bike ride near Washington’s Reflecting Pool. He insists he only touched a strip of rubbery material and that the paint remained untouched. The incident echoes ongoing controversies over the $13 million makeover of the pool, a project endorsed by President Trump. As lawmakers and visitors scrutinise the pool’s new blue hue and persistent algae, Hearn’s arrest highlights heightened tensions between officials and the public. The case underscores the need for clearer guidelines on public area maintenance and security.

— Davey Hearn, a former Olympic slalom canoeist, was arrested Friday near the Washington D.C. Reflecting Pool after completing a lengthy bike ride. He insists he only touched a rubbery strip of the pool’s base and claims and said the paint remained intact.

According to Hearn’s statement, Park Police and National Guard troops stopped him when he brushed a section of the pool surface that had "delaminated". He says he was handcuffed and held for about five hours before being released.

— The incident comes amid widespread scrutiny of the $13 million refurbishment that Trump promoted as a win for the country’s 250th anniversary. The project, led by a private contractor, applied a new “American Flag blue” colour to the pool’s walls and attempted to eradicate green algae that has plagued the water for years.

Twice on Truth Social, President Trump claimed that vandals had "poured corrosive chemicals" into the pool and expected it to be drained and refilled. Some said the pool’s paint had begun to peel, but Trump’s officials maintained the work was recent and will be repaired soon.

For Hearn, the situation illustrates a broader point: "I didn't destroy, rip, tear, peel, or remove any part of the paint. The condition didn't change." He also said a national‑news presenter had touched the same material and that no one had done anything wrong. He felt that a high‑level decision maker had made an example of him, calling it arbitrary and capricious prosecution.

Meanwhile, the pool itself remains a symbol of Washington’s historic sights. It stretches 2,030 feet between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument and has suffered from leaks, leaking pipes, algae, and bird droppings for decades. The latest paint job and resurfacing only highlighted new issues, with striking photographs of blue paint peeling from the bottom circulating online.

There are ongoing debates among city officials, park management, and the public over whether the recent changes were worth the cost, how to maintain a clean pool, and whether the Park Police should have detained Hearn. With the Renovation’s funding contract awarded via a no‑bid process, some critics argue the commission lacked transparency.

Images and Videos

◀ Workers with long poles cleaning the pool with the Lincoln Monument in the background Workers with long poles clean the pool with the Lincoln Monument in the background.