⏱️ Qualifying Times for Championship meets
Qualifying times are only required for Regional (Brisbane), State, and National meets.
Where qualifying times come from
Swimmers must achieve a verified time at an approved competition, such as anything above and including Preparation Meets. Club Night times don’t count — they’re unverified.
Times are valid from 1 January of the previous year, unless stated otherwise in the meet booklet.
Converted Times
If a swimmer only has a time in one pool size (SC or LC) but wants to enter a race for the other pool size, Swim Central automatically converts it for nominations:
- Short Course (SC) = 25m, Long Course (LC) = 50m
- From SC → LC = add time, using an algorithm on Swim Central and shown as the entry time when nominating.
- From LC → SC = subtract time
- Swimmers are typically faster in short course, because more wall turns mean more push-offs and steamline glides.
Where to find qualifying times
Each championship meet publishes its own qualifying times in the meet information booklet, which can be obtained from a simple Google search.
🎂 Minimum Age for Championship Events
Minimum ages are strictly enforced as the swimmer’s age on the first day of competition.
- State Championships (Long Course): 12 years for individual events, 10 years for relays
- State Short Course Championships: 11 years
- State Sprint Championships: 10 years
- National Championships: 13 years