Poolside chat- continues here 😁

[Glittertwins]

Did I get this done right??

Things do seem to have settled since covid time wise.

Shame they keep changing the goal posts re age categories and distances though.

I can see why they do it. But more notice would be nice - like before the qualifying period of meets have been entered 😂

(But like I said it doesn't affect my ds!)

We have 16, 17 and 18. We used to just have 16+ but it was ridiculous local 15 year olds up against uni students. It was like that for the first time last year but some of the 16 and 17 numbers in events were pretty small.

What is it being recommended? Ours have been out since July anyway.

Devon and Dorset have changed to 16+. It's being said that it's a SE directive. But people say all sorts and it's hard to discern the fact from fiction!

Ours have also been out a while but I was wondering if all the counties were having to change and whether to expect it.

But it won't affect ds anyway so was just being nosy tbh 😂

Last year, we had age groups to 15, then open age so there were barely 16 yr olds against full grown men. This year, they reinstated the 16 years age group.

2 years ago we had 15 year old school boys against Ollie Morgan. I’m starting to feel this is quite outing 😂😂

I doubt it’s a SE directive, 16+ is daft. Ah but hang on 🤦🏻‍♀️

I've just noticed that it is 16+ for 2025.
This year we had a 16 yrs age group on its own again.

I'm surprised Ollie Morgan swam counties. A little of older swimmers here have quite the snob factor in that they think counties is beneath them.

• A lot of... My phone is not being helpful tonight

Ours has had 16 with separate qualifying times to 17+ for the last year or two and 2025 times have the same, though 16 still had separate finals before then. I think how Teateaandmoretea’s county does it is better to split 17s too.
For our county, qualifying times for the older few age groups are now far harder than they were pre Covid whilst the younger age groups times are easier.

Yeah it was just after lockdown in 2022 and he didn’t take swimming that seriously I don’t think when he was younger - it was once he went to uni.

He won by a very long way though.

Yes, he did suddenly do brilliantly well after starting university (long may that continue!)

Yes he's a prime example of the process and how it all changes once you hit adulthood (more so for males) and hopefully encourages younger swimmers in their late teens to stick at it.

Back to Devon/ Dorset. It may be a good idea that’s come from SE South West. The ASAs would have to apply to them for a license. So they may have told them to change it at the point of applying.

Is it to do with QTs being too fast so older swimmers not getting in? Having more age groups is hugely better for making it to the finals/ medals.

Ours for 2025 has license numbers with more age groups and according to DH (although he has only licensed a couple of level 4s) once you have licensed it NOTHING can change. But we’re a different region obviously.

Interesting thought on both points. There look to be lots of counties who have published times with 16s separately, so maybe it is a south west regional thing? Though Gloucestershire have times out with 16s separate. If it was Swim England nationally surely they would all have to be changing?

As you say, there is a trade off as the 16s benefit from having their own finals, and with some barely 15 it would be very hard for them to compete with adults. But for the 17s it potentially makes the open age group times even harder if they don’t have to allow for the 16s. My eldest has gone from having 8-12 county times the last few years to 1 for next year with going into 17+ (and our county’s times being made harder hasn’t helped, we are not one of the huge counties but they look to be some of the fastest times for the older age groups).

I can’t see that Gloucestershire has actual conditions with a license number yet though.

It isn’t right to make them crazy faster for 17+. Ours don’t change that much after 15, at least in the girls. Dd1 would still have times for 18+ and is 16 age group.

Ds had his flu and covid jabs yesterday.

He's woken up feeling like he's been hit by a bus - everything hurts (and he has a high pain threshold!) and he's coughing!

Keep reminding him that this is why he has them - as the illness would be even worse!

Might need a few days off training but better than a few weeks with actual illness - he's WFH the next few days anyway as his boss is away!

Flu jab didn't affect me but the previous covid jabs did. I've not knowingly had covid but I think I might take my chances after being floored by the jabs!!

Yeah I had flu as get it as his carer.

Carers aren't offered/ entitled to covid this year.

Must be the covid causing it as I'm fine!

Irony being I've had covid twice (once since jabs started) and he's never caught it!!!

Don't think it helps that he's all upper body when he swims and has had a jab in each arm 😂

hope everyone had a good weekend of competing. im exhausted! First L2 gala. Good results for DS - couple of golds and a bunch of PBs.

I was offered a covid booster as a carer so I find it surprising this isn’t nationwide..? They say DS is CEV until I speak to his consultant who doesn’t agree. I had covid earlier this year and this time it was short lived and much less horrific than the booster, I haven’t taken up the jab therefore. DS didn’t get it neither did DH and I wasn’t that careful. I guess it’s luck…

DS has had a fantastic weekend, three events, three pbs, and two of them by several seconds. One of them gets him to the national para meet in Sandwell despite being young in the cohort. Now he has to decide if he is going. One of these days he’ll have to decide which of his hobbies he cares about!!

We are going to Sandwell! Good for him qualifying. It's a good meet for paras because it has age bands rather than the usual all open age.

Glad everyone who competed had good meets. Our next one is winter regionals first weekend of November and then para nationals 3 weeks later! Then L3 LC 2 weeks after that.

Then I expect not a lot until next April!

Yeah ds peadiatric consultant said not to worry about CEV (he chose the jab anyway!) but he's 20 now and his consultant said as an adult he should really get it.

Think he's regretting that decision today 😫

We’ve got pretty much nothing till the end of the year and counties. Dd1 will have arena league twice and dd2 has one day at a level 3 at the start of December.

I'm jealous of all of you with pretty light achedules at this time of year. DS has 3 galas all involving staying away plus a channel swim training thing (also involves staying away) all in the next 6 weeks 🙈

Wow swimming the channel. Mine are waaay too soft for that 😂😂.