What Gala’s can I enter?
When you join the club, you will see that we have a fixture list, with different meets throughout the year. Deciding when to enter your first gala, and choosing the right one may appear to be a daunting prospect.
Below is a little information to help you identifying which gala’s you can (and should) enter. It is intended to give you an insight into the different levels of competition, and is intended as guidelines, rather than a set of rules.
Grading of Meets
Meets are graded to suit swimmers of different abilities, and the fixture list can appear to be confusing at first glance.
The different types of meets are detailed below, with an indication of the squads. Below are the criteria and constraints, which relate to the licensing of meets. There are four levels of licensed meet.
Qualifying Times and Upper Cut Off Times
Most meets will have qualifying times and some meets will have Upper Cut Off Times. A swimmer has to be able to swim faster that the Qualifying Time to be able to enter a meet. Likewise if a swimmer has achieved a time faster than the Upper Cut Off time he will be unable to enter the meet. You will see these referred to on the entry packs as QT’s (Qualifying Times) and CT’s (Cut off Times –sometimes referred to as upper time limits or UCT’s).
Level 4 Licensed Meet
These meets generally include Club Championships, Swimming Leagues, and Development Meets. These meets are ideal for the younger swimmers in the lower development squads (D8 – D4). They may sometimes require entry times but are an ideal opportunity for your first competition, which should not be missed.
The Club Championships are now always licensed, and again it is an ideal opportunity for a young swimmer to obtain times. All swimmers should try to enter the club championships.
Level 3 Licensed Meet
Again, these meets are ideal for younger swimmers and those in the development squads (D8 – D1). These meets will require qualifying times, and will have upper qualifying times.
Times obtained in these meets can be used to achieve a Regional Qualifying time.
Level 2 Licensed Meet
These meets are intended for more experienced swimmers, generally in squads D3 – J1. As with Level 3 meets, they will require qualifying times, and will have upper cut off times. Qualifying times for these meets will generally be faster than those for a Level 3 meet.
Times obtained in these meets can be used for Regional Qualification, and times swum can be used for entry in National Competitions.
Level 1 Licensed Meet
These meets are the highest level of licensed meet, and are intended for British, ASA and Welsh Qualification. Times are also accepted for Regional Qualification.
Qualifying times will apply to these meets and there will be no upper cut off times. These meets are mainly intended for the senior squads.
Entry Information
The entry information for gala’s will be posted on the ‘Fixtures’ page of the website, together with information about the squads for which the meet is considered suitable. If you are unsure please speak to your to your squad coach, or the professional coaches (Nikki, Oliver, David or Dave).