1) Florida Age Group and Senior Championships

The first meets swimmers should aim to qualify for are the Florida Swimming Championships. These meets are split into age groups champs (FLAGS) for 14 & unders, and Senior Champs for 15 & Overs. Qualifying times for this meet are based on the swimmers age. There are different standards for 10 & Unders, 11-12s, 13-14s, 15-16s, and 17 & older. As a swimmer ages up, the qualifying times become faster.

Senior Champs Qualifying Times- We will update when the 2023 standards are released.

 

2) Speedo Sectionals

Speedo Sectionals is the base of the USA Swimming pyramid. This meet has no age brackets, meaning anyone who meets the qualifying time standard can compete. Sectionals meets take place in each region across the US during the summer. Athletes who qualify in one event can enter in a set number of bonus events for that meet. At Speedo Sectionals, bonus events do need to have an official time during the qualification period; while some Sectional meets require actual Bonus qualifying times and other Sectional meets do not. This varies by which Speedo Sectionals you attend.

Speedo Sectionals Qualifying Times

 

3) Futures Championships

Has faster qualifying times than Sectionals and is also held during the summer. These meets allow swimmers to compete on a larger, faster scale than Sectionals. Only five Futures meets are held throughout the US. How do you know which Futures meet to attend? It all depends on what LSC you belong to. Bonus events at this level do not have time standards. Swimmers older than 18 are allowed to compete at this meet.

Futures Championship Qualifying Times

 

4) NCSA Spring Junior Nationals

Originally started by a group of club coaches who noticed a void in the USA Swimming meet calendar (before Winter and Summer Juniors existed), this Spring Junior National meet has been a stepping stone for over 80% of our Olympians, including Caeleb Dressel, Katie Ledecky, and Simone Manuel. Time standards generally hover over current Futures cuts. 

NCSA Spring Juniors (time standards on last page of info packet)

 

5) Speedo Winter Junior Championships (Short Course)

The Winter Junior Championship meets take place every December at two sites, East and West. Qualifying times for this meet are faster than for Futures Championships. All athletes must be 18 years or under on the first day of competition. Swimmers may enter a set number of bonus events, as long as they are permitted by the meet’s guidelines. However, all bonus events must meet a separate time standard. 

Speedo Winter Junior Championships Qualifying Times

 

6) Speedo Junior National Championship (Long Course)

The Junior National Championship meet is held in the summer at a single location. Qualifying times for this meet are faster than the time standards for the Winter Junior Championships. All athletes must be 18 years or under on the first day of competition. Swimmers may enter a set number of bonus events, as long as they are permitted by the meet’s guidelines. However, all bonus events must meet a separate time standard. 

Speedo Junior National Championship Qualifying Times

 

7) US Open

This is an international-level meet organized by USA Swimming during the Summer and Winter months. Only swimmers who achieve qualification times are able to participate. Swimmers are able to participate in a set number of bonus events that meet the bonus time standard. Members of Olympic, National, and National Junior Teams may compete in the event as well. 

Toyota US Open Qualifying Times

 

8) National Championship

Swimmers of all ages are able to participate in this meet as long as they meet the time standards. Qualification times for this meet are faster than US Open Cuts. Members of Olympic, National, and National Junior Teams compete in this event. International swimmers may compete in this meet as well. 

Phillips 66 National Championship Qualifying Times

 

9) US Olympic Trials

These happen every four years. Olympic trials are rumored to be just as difficult as the Olympics themselves in the US. Why? The United States has a lot of good swimmers. To put this into reference, there are about ~400,000 registered USA Swimming swimmers and the goal of Olympic Trials is to host about ~1,250 swimmers at meet. This means only about 0.3% of registered USA swimming athletes will earn the right to compete at the Olympic Trials.

US Olympic Trials Qualifying Times

 

10) US Olympic Team

The top two finishers in each event at Olympic Trials make up the US Olympic team. The Women’s 1500m Free and Men’s 800m Free were added to the Olympic event list back in 2021, so instead of top 6 potentially making the team in the 200m Free and 100m Freestyle events – we now see more of a guarantee of the top 4 making the team in those slots. There are only 26 spots on both the men’s and women’s side for the Olympic Team – putting the total Olympic Team size at 52 swimmers. This means only about 4% of swimmers who compete at trials go on to make the Olympic team.