Poolside chat - new year, new racing!

[Glittertwins]

Hope this works, am rubbish at this!

Our regional qualifier meet is already full and counties don't even start properly until next week!

I can see that a lot being based at the school will make it difficult. I can imagine though if it isn’t sorted soon it won’t happen at all which would be a real shame, and even if rescheduled there are likely to be a number of swimmers who can’t do the changed dates.

Good point on the open meets! I do think the timing of open meet entries gets ridiculous though, we need to put entries in for a regional qualifier in march now (as I’m sure is the case for many others too as Glittertwins says with ones already filling), yet we haven’t done counties and haven’t even got regional times out yet. It makes it hard to know what to enter!

We've already got all the regional times so we don't actually have to chase any times, it's just race practice and enjoyment

Hi all, I am hoping you more experienced poolside parents may be able to help. My 16 year old DD has absolutely thrived this year and there is a chance I think that she might get selected for England summer championships this year. Now all I know is that you are invited rather than apply but I just wondered if anyone knows when this will happen . I M trying to book a summer holiday but reluctant to when I don’t know when to book just in case . Can anyone advise on timelines for selection. Thank you

She will need to be inside the top 44 of her age group based on long course times swum between the 8th March and a date mid May (after all the regionals have been swum). Top 24 go to British and the next 20 to home nations summer meets.
English summer nationals start on Tuesday 30th July to Saturday 3rd August. British summer nationals are the week before.

@Glittertwins thank you this is really helpful. At the moment she is sitting around the top 40 for the 50 free so assuming she just needs to do well at counties and regionals . I didn’t realise that they look at times only between that period so super helpful. Thank you !

No problem, the long course times have to be swum at an L1/L2 level meet as well, not just any long course competition. It gets crazy March - May!

I’m so glad mine were swimming in Scotland - so much easier to understand all the meet qualifying rules, the English system seems nuts.

For the British summer meet, the Scot's qualifying system will have to be the same though otherwise it wouldn't be fair.

I thought they were the same? Top 24 in Britain (less for distance) qualify for British summers and then each nation has a separate home nationals?

I know Wales do an open nationals but I thought Scotland then had qualifying criteria and you had to be registered as Scottish? But you can only enter if you don't qualify for British?

Sorry another question! Does anyone know when the England nationals release their programme at least then I could work out when she would be required if she did qualify !

It's likely to be the same as 2023 as u believe all the para swimmers joined into the one event. From memory, girls 50m free was midweek. But if you look up swim england summer nationals results 2023, it will give you the results in date and event order.

https://results.swimming.org/swimming/results/2023/sesummer/index.php?gl=1162be0707gaMTEyNDg3MjAwMy4xNjkxMzM4NTU22gaa_JM2EH8C94N*MTY5MTMzODU2My4xLjAuMTY5MTMzODU2My42MC4wLjA.#13

It's more the counties and then regionals and then the scramble for open meet entry places in qualifying windows. Our licensing used to be more straightforward (L1 national / district / club LC meets, L2 all other accredited meets, L3 all other meets) but it's been changed to four levels now.

In Scotland you just have district instead of counties and regionals (probably because of lower number of swimmers), although you're right in the way the Scottish Summer meet works. Scotland does have open nationals (like last months Scottish SC), as well as meets like the Scottish Age Groups which are for Scottish swimmers only.

I would agree. Ds has done british last 2 years as a para as schedule was the same both years.

This year (or rather last 😂) they added them into winters and have again this year.

Schedules seem to be the same for big events year on year ime.

Thanks all for your advice last week. I’m happy to report DS had a very successful day at the weekend, coming away with huge PBs on both events, and two bronze medals! He only narrowly missed winning the 800 by 4 sec. He was right on his 400 PB in the 1500 then beat it by 6 seconds in the 800. His coach was really pleased with him too for very consistent splits with sprint finishes on the last 50 of both (which is great as he often feels he never gets any positive feedback from him). Between the two he had some fresh air, a bit of a wander, chocolate milk and food, and a rest but didn’t actually sleep.

Yay, well done to him!
We had 800m as well, no PB as wasn't aiming for it but more for race plan practice. Apart from the first 100 and last 50, every split was within 0.3 of a second of eachother.

Well done to your DSs, @Eccle80 & @Glittertwins

Very good early season swims from the sound of it.

DD swimming an 800 in a few weeks' time I think - first time since she was about 12 (almost 8 years ago!)

Well done for the 800's. Sounds like great racing and pacing.

Ds has 800m at counties this weekend. His first ever time of swimming it LC - should be interesting 😂

He's only done it 3 times SC 🤷‍♀️

I tend to tune out and forget how many lengths I've done!

Hopefully the countdown cards will help him 🤔

We are just impressed he qualified as it's not a para event so he's swimming as an AB swimmer and they only take 12 per age group and it's open age!!!

I can't see them!! I hope he does well

Thanks all, well done to your DS too Glittertwins, and good luck to those with swims coming up!

He can't see them clearly as wears glasses. But can see them well enough from the flags.

I'd have to have them about 2"s from my face 😂😂

Snap, me too. Then add the foggy goggles, I'm a hopeless case!