A Swimmer's Dictionary: Understanding Competition Jargon

Welcome to the world of competitive swimming! Like any sport, it has its own language of acronyms and special terms. This guide is here to translate the key phrases you'll come across on your journey. If you ever hear a term you don't understand, please ask a coach or committee member – we're here to help!

The Basics: Pools & Times

These are the fundamental terms you'll see on every meet entry pack.

  • Long Course (LC / LCM) A competition held in a 50-metre swimming pool, the same size used for the Olympics.

  • Short Course (SC / SCM) A competition held in a 25-metre swimming pool. (Our home pool in Burnham is a Short Course pool).

  • Qualifying Time (QT) A time standard set by meet organisers. To enter an event, a swimmer must have an officially recorded time that meets the criteria. There are two main types:

  • Lower Qualifying Time (LQT) This is the "fast enough" time. You must have a time that is faster than the LQT to be accepted into the event. These are used for championship meets like Counties and Regionals.

  • Upper Qualifying Time (UQT) This is the "not too fast" time. You must have a time that is slower than the UQT to enter. This is common in developmental meets to ensure swimmers are competing against others of a similar ability.

  • Consideration Time (CT) A slightly slower "wild card" time for some championship meets. Achieving this time means you can submit an entry, but your place is only confirmed if the event isn't filled by swimmers who have the main LQT.

The Competition Pathway

Swimming competitions follow a progressive structure, from local events to national championships. This is the main pathway our swimmers follow.

  • Counties (Somerset ASA County Championships) The first major championship of the year, usually held between January and March. Swimmers compete against the best in Somerset. To enter, you must achieve the official County Qualifying Time for your age at a licensed meet.

  • Regionals (Swim England South West) The next step up from Counties. This championship brings together the fastest swimmers from across the entire South West region (Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset & Wiltshire).

  • Nationals The highest level of domestic competition. The best swimmers from England, Scotland, and Wales compete at their respective national summer championships.

Other Useful Terms & Acronyms

  • Conversion The process of mathematically "converting" a time from a 25m pool to its 50m pool equivalent, and vice-versa, using official conversion tables. This allows swimmers to use their times to qualify for meets held in either pool size.

  • LTAD (Long-Term Athlete Development) The coaching framework our club follows. It ensures that training, competition, and recovery are tailored appropriately for a swimmer's age and stage of development.

  • Meet Mobile An essential app for swimmers and parents. Most meet organisers use it to publish heat sheets, live results, and final standings. It usually has a small annual subscription fee.

  • Somerset ASA The governing body for swimming in our county, responsible for organising the County Championships.