LEVELS OF COMPETITION

Level 4 meets are designated Club Championships, local development meets and entry level galas. Any swimmer receiving an invite can enter BUT please look out for the accompanying email that will highlight specific events to enter for those in Club Development sessions, particularly those still swimming widths. Swimmers can enter any race that they feel comfortable in doing so, for those in Junior Squad and above we recommend 50m races on all 4 strokes and 100m IM initially (but if you are really not confident over 50m Butterfly for example, then no need to enter until you feel ready!) For Club Development swimmers entering for the first time, in the absence of 25m races we recommend that you enter 50m races only in strokes that you feel confident in and in which you are familiar with the turns required. These events are usually always swum in a 25m pool. 

Level 3 meets are again available to all competitors (with a caveat for higher performers) – however, if your child has not raced before then we advise only entering a level 3 meet hosted by Bristol Henleaze (we run 2-3 of these a year as well as other Level 4 Club Championships and Development Meets) so that they have a registered time to enter with. Once a swimmer has raced in a levelled meet (normally at Level 4 initially) they will gain a time for their event and this will be on the Swim England rankings database and can be used to enter future competitions. If you enter for a race in which you do not have a time your entry will be classed as NT (No Time), this is normal for first time competitors so don’t be alarmed if you see NT next to your child’s name! Level 3 meets can be in either a 25m or 50m pool. Level 3 and 4 meets can both be used to qualify for County Championships (see below).  

The main limitation for Level 3 meets is that they are not designed for swimmers at National level and as such have an upper limit qualifying time – so if a swimmers best time is faster than a certain limit, they will not be permitted to enter that event. Being too fast in one event, however, does not limit an athletes ability to enter other events at which they may not have surpassed the upper standard.  

Level 2 meets are swum in a 25m pool and are only for athletes who have achieved a certain qualifying standard (lower qualifying limit), so if you do not receive an invite then you are not yet at the required standard to enter a Level 2 meet. In a lot of cases you might only qualify for 1 or 2 races (whereas in a level 3 or 4 you can enter as many as you like) – in this case it is advisable to enter the Level 2 only on the odd occasion and focus most of your races at Level 3 or 4 so you can partake in a wider variety of events. 

Level 1 meets are equivalent to Level 2 meets, however they are swum in a long course (50m) pool. Both Level 2 and 1 meets are usually there for athletes wishing to qualify for National or Regional Competitions. Some swimmers who achieve qualifying times for a Level 1 or 2 meet in just a small number of events can use these as a valuable experience at performing against a higher level of competition. 

County Championships: 

The Gloucester County Championships run every year in January and February. To qualify for these champs the swimmers must achieve a set qualifying standard before Xmas in the year before the competition (these are set by the County and released normally around September). Unlike the Level 1-4 meets, County Champs are age at the end of the year – so when you compete in February, you will race in the age group in which you will turn before the 31st December that year. The earliest age for entry is 10/11-year olds and these Championships are widely deemed as the base level for the competitive swimmer pathway. This does not mean however, that if a 10-year old does not achieve a County time then they are behind their peers or ineligible for the competitive pathway… As mentioned above, everybody develops differently and at different times – there are many high-level swimmers who earn their first County time later, some much later, than the 10/11-year old onset… 

Regional Championships 

The Regional Champs take place in April and May and for many young swimmers are the pinnacle of their annual competitive calendar. The qualifying times are a stage further ahead than County times and mark the next major level of the competitive pathway. The lowest age bracket for Regionals is 11/12 years old. 

National Championships 

The next stage of the pathway is National Championships – these are divided into ‘home nation’ meets (pertinent to England, Scotland and Wales) and ‘British’ meets, enveloping everyone; these take place in the Summer (July and August). The British meets are further split into Summer and Winter Meets (December) as well as housing a ‘Trials’ for the upcoming International meets (Europeans, Worlds, Commonwealth, Olympics) and these take place in April. The Winter meet and Trials meets have qualifying times as before, the summer meets however, use a rankings system. The top 24 swimmers in each age group (starting at 13 years) for each event (after a qualifying window running from March to May – so any race performed at a licensed meet during this window will be counted) are invite to the British Summer Meet; then the next 20 ranked swimmers from England are invited to the English Home Nation Meet, the 20 Welsh to the Welsh Meet etc. 

BHSC enjoy success at all levels of meets and at all stages of the competitive pathway. We are one of the most represented Clubs at County level and year on year produce finalists, medallists and champions at both Regional and National Competitions. In addition to the competitive exploits of the Club we also have a proud tradition of promoting lifelong enjoyment of the sport, catering for social and fitness swimmers alongside the competitive squads. We are also  proud to support, train and mentor our members within workforce development, where parents/athletes/volunteers have the opportunity to develop their skills as a swimming teacher and coach as part of our Legends and Apprenticeship (linked) Programmes. 

To request a trial click here (link to trial form page)