A Fresh Challenge Awaits Young Swimmers

Junior swimmers, this one is for you!

Swimming Australia is proud to launch, in collaboration with its State Swimming Associations, its inaugural State Based National Age Challenge – the next stage in the evolution of its competition pathway for swimmers across the country.

Designed for boys (11-14 years old) and girls (11-14 years old), the Challenge is an exciting, fresh concept that will encourage swimmers and their coaches to prepare for meaningful competition at the conclusion of the long course season, and will be used as a stepping stone in their journey in the sport.

Recognising the change in national age bands throughout the swimming program, the State Based National Age Challenge gives younger swimmers who are not yet eligible to compete at Age Championships, the opportunity to compete at state competitions and acquire a national virtual ranking in events – allowing them to see where they’re positioned against competitors from around the country.

The ten eligible events include:

• 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle
• 50m and 100m backstroke
• 50m and 100m breaststroke
• 50m and 100m butterfly
• 200m individual medley

The Challenge will be piloted in six states across a two-week period in March, with the following meets doubling as the inaugural State Based National Age Challenge:

Queensland – 2020 Speedo National Preparation Meet and Jess Schipper Challenge (21-22 March)

Victoria – 2020 Country All Junior Championships (21-22 March)

              – 2020 Metro All Junior Championships (28-29 March)

New South Wales – NSW Junior State Age Championships (28-29 March) *

Western Australia – Hancock Prospecting Junior Swimming Championships (27-29March) **

South Australia – Mad March Titles (27-29March)

Tasmania – Long Course Regional Championships, Hobart (28 March)

                 – Long Course Regional Championships, Launceston (29 March)

Following the conclusion of all six meets, Swimming Australia will create a national ranking of every participant’s times, as well as collating a state leader board and an overall top ten national leader board. This will be recognised and celebrated on Swimming Australia’s website.

Swimming Australia’s Chief Sport Performance, Matthew Kennedy, welcomed the new initiative.

“We’re really excited to launch the State Based National Age Challenge and believe it will benefit young swimmers across Australia,” Kennedy said.

“We wanted to create a meaningful and fun competition for those swimmers who haven’t yet qualified for age champs and give them an opportunity to compare their times and performances against swimmers of the same age around the country.

“In addition, the State Based National Age Challenge is also a solution for us to support the needs of both early and late developing swimmers and to improve the retention of swimmers in the competition pathway.

“These changes are fundamental in supporting clubs and coaches, creating the best competition environment for swimmers to flourish, irrespective of their which state they compete in and their stage of maturation.

“I’d also like to thank our state organisations for their cooperation in getting this up and running and being able to provide our aspiring swimmers with this opportunity to race at the end of the season.”

More Details and 2020 Pilot Conditions:

• There are no events scheduled for boys aged 14 and girls aged 13-14 at the NSW Junior State Age Championships. We apologise for any inconvenience as we pilot the program for the first year.
   
• ** There are no events scheduled for boys aged 14 and girls aged 13-14 at the WA Hancock Prospecting Junior Swimming Championships. We apologise for any inconvenience as we pilot the program for the first year.
   
• Female swimmers who are 13 and 14 years old and registered to compete at the 2020 Hancock Prospecting Australian Age Championships will not be eligible to obtain a national ranking at the conclusion of the State Based National Age Challenge.
   
• Male swimmers who are 14 years old and registered to compete at the 2020 Hancock Prospecting Australian Age Championships will not be eligible to obtain a national ranking at the conclusion of the State Based National Age Challenge.
   
• Please note Swimming Victoria will only run 50-metre events at their two dedicated, with data from 100-metre and 200-metre events gathered from its Metro Long Course Championships which took place last weekend (6-9 March).
   
• Participants don’t need to register, just enter the above competitions via Swim Central, as you usually would.
   
• Please visit your state association website for more information and flyers.

As we pilot this new initiative, we appreciate any feedback from our swimming community, please see the pilot conditions for the program and further contact information within the article for all enquires.