Swimmers Information
Top tips for Warm up & Cool Down.
The short warm up
Sometimes when you go to a meet you only get a few minutes to warm up. If there are six different teams all wanting to warm up in just six lanes it can get a bit crazy! Sometimes the organisers will separate out the boys and the girls or give different time slots to different age groups so you can end up with as little as ten minutes to get warmed up. It’s nowhere near enough but if it’s all you can get then you need to make the most of it.
Make sure you keep moving for the whole time that you have allocated to you. Try not to get into a habit of stopping during each length to practice turns because it’s much more important to get your muscles warmed up than practice turns. If you’ve worked your turns hard enough in training you should be ready to race and if you keep moving in the warm up you’ll get to do more turns than you would if you keep stopping and starting.
In addition to your short time in the pool you should get yourself warmed up by stretching and generally moving around. Some people take a skipping rope to the pool and others will go for a brisk walk or gentle run outside before they get into the water. Stretching after you swim is actually more effective that stretching before you swim.
The championship warm up
If you go to a big event you might get up to an hour in the water to warm up. Work out what is the best distance for you to do in the warm up to feel ready to race. For many top swimmers this is around 1200 to 2000meters. Don’t wear yourself out, but a combination of gentle swimming, drills, harder efforts and sprints tends to work for most people. You really need to develop two types of warm up that become your routine, one for league and local meets and the other for championship events.
The short warm up
Sometimes when you go to a meet you only get a few minutes to warm up. If there are six different teams all wanting to warm up in just six lanes it can get a bit crazy! Sometimes the organisers will separate out the boys and the girls or give different time slots to different age groups so you can end up with as little as ten minutes to get warmed up. It’s nowhere near enough but if it’s all you can get then you need to make the most of it.
Make sure you keep moving for the whole time that you have allocated to you. Try not to get into a habit of stopping during each length to practice turns because it’s much more important to get your muscles warmed up than practice turns. If you’ve worked your turns hard enough in training you should be ready to race and if you keep moving in the warm up you’ll get to do more turns than you would if you keep stopping and starting.
In addition to your short time in the pool you should get yourself warmed up by stretching and generally moving around. Some people take a skipping rope to the pool and others will go for a brisk walk or gentle run outside before they get into the water. Stretching after you swim is actually more effective that stretching before you swim.
The championship warm up
If you go to a big event you might get up to an hour in the water to warm up. Work out what is the best distance for you to do in the warm up to feel ready to race. For many top swimmers this is around 1200 to 2000meters. Don’t wear yourself out, but a combination of gentle swimming, drills, harder efforts and sprints tends to work for most people. You really need to develop two types of warm up that become your routine, one for league and local meets and the other for championship events.
What are Open Meets?
These are competitions where Club swimmers enter individually using their previously achieved personal best time for each stroke and distance.The types of open vary according to the capability of the swimmers. The ASA have a licensing system of 4 categories which have been designed to broaden the range of competition available to swimmers.
Briefly the four categories are described as follows:
License 1
These are the highest grade of Open designed for swimmers of national standard and above.There has to be a ‘lower qualifying times’ (no slower than) but there is ‘no upper qualifying times (no faster than).Times achieved at these galas can be used for qualification to national, regional and county competitions.
License 2
These galas have both lower qualifying times and upper qualifying times although this is usually much faster than a national qualifying time and therefore not normally are restriction to entry.The ‘lower qualifying times’ however can vary considerably from open to open.Times achieved at these competitions can be used for qualification to national, regional and county competitions.
License 3
License 3 opens have upper qualifying times but not necessarily a lower qualifying time.The cut-off can be anything up to a National Standard.Times achieved at these opens can be used for qualification to county competitions.
License 4
These are intended for club swimmers and those beginning to enter individual open competitions. These opens must have an advertised upper qualifying time. Electronic timing is not compulsory, although preferred. Times achieved at these meets may be used for entry into meets at levels two and three and into county championships.
Briefly the four categories are described as follows:
License 1
These are the highest grade of Open designed for swimmers of national standard and above.There has to be a ‘lower qualifying times’ (no slower than) but there is ‘no upper qualifying times (no faster than).Times achieved at these galas can be used for qualification to national, regional and county competitions.
License 2
These galas have both lower qualifying times and upper qualifying times although this is usually much faster than a national qualifying time and therefore not normally are restriction to entry.The ‘lower qualifying times’ however can vary considerably from open to open.Times achieved at these competitions can be used for qualification to national, regional and county competitions.
License 3
License 3 opens have upper qualifying times but not necessarily a lower qualifying time.The cut-off can be anything up to a National Standard.Times achieved at these opens can be used for qualification to county competitions.
License 4
These are intended for club swimmers and those beginning to enter individual open competitions. These opens must have an advertised upper qualifying time. Electronic timing is not compulsory, although preferred. Times achieved at these meets may be used for entry into meets at levels two and three and into county championships.
For more information on stroke techniques, starts and turns
click links below
click links below
Changes to the Masters Rules
FINA Technical Rules updates for Masters swimmers.
The new rule is included below.
MSW 3.10 A breaststroke kicking movement is permitted for butterfly.
Only one breaststroke kick is permitted per arm pull except that a single breaststroke kick is permitted prior to the turn and the finish without an arm pull. After the start and after each turn, a single breaststroke kick is permitted prior to the first arm pull.
FINA Technical Rules updates for Masters swimmers.
The new rule is included below.
MSW 3.10 A breaststroke kicking movement is permitted for butterfly.
Only one breaststroke kick is permitted per arm pull except that a single breaststroke kick is permitted prior to the turn and the finish without an arm pull. After the start and after each turn, a single breaststroke kick is permitted prior to the first arm pull.
BBC Swimming
homepage link
homepage link
For further information
on Injuries.
on Injuries.
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Entry Times for
Kent Championship
Kent Championship
Entry Times for
South East Region
Youth Championships
South East Region
Youth Championships