| TIME STANDARDS USA Swimming 2021-2024 Age Group Standards.pdf USA Swimming 2021-24 Single Age Group Motivational Standards.pdf
2022 Sectional Time Standards.pdf 2021 Futures Championships time standards.pdf 2022 Winter Junior Championships Time Standards.pdf
Q: What are USA Swimming Age Group Motivational Times? A: Motivational time standards are set by USA Swimming and designed to encourage age group swimmers to step their swimming up to the next level. Time standards are also sometimes used to group swimmers of similar ability for different swim meets. Time standards guide swimmers from just starting out in your age group to reaching your highest potential. All swimmers start as Level “C” swimmers. As they swim different events and achieve these motivational times in those events, they become B swimmers and work their way up to AAAA times. Motivational times are separated by age group and give swimmers a goal to work towards individually with the aim of improving their times. When swimmers have attended their first USA swim meet their times will automatically be recorded in the USA Swimming "SWIMS" database and you will see the motivational standard letter listed next to the results. These times can be found at the following link: http://www.usaswimming.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=1470&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en-US
Q: How are Age Group Motivational Times determined? A: Age Group motivational standards are set on a four year, or “quad”, base. The current Age Group standards started on 9/1/2020 and run through 8/31/2024.
To start, they take the last time of the top 16 (or top 10) for the previous four years and compare it to the 16th fastest time in an age group for the current year. If there is no different, the motivational time standard remains the same.
Time standards for short course meters and long course meters are based off of the time standards for short course yards. They use a formula that multiplies the distance conversion by the short course yards base time.
Q: Why are 8 & Under Motivational Times "unofficial"? A: National Age Group times set by USA Swimming are recognized as 10 & Under. For a swimmer to receive an official "B" time, it must be met in the 10 & Under category regardless of age. Gulf Swimming however recognizes the need for younger swimmers to have their own goals to achieve so they have set their own LSC Times Standards used only in the Gulf Swimming region. You will not find these times on the USA swimming website, but they can be used by local teams in the same way to motivate their swimmers to swim to a higher level.
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