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Otago Swim Champs - registrations close Friday 13th March Click here to register your child for this event.
All primary school students in years 3-6 are encouraged to give it a go! This is a fun event and perfect for children who might enjoy swimming and want to try a race event for the first time, as well as those who are club swimmers. Heats are seeded according to entry times, so all children will swim alongside other children of a similar ability.
Venue: Moana Pool, Dunedin
Date: Sunday 29th March
Entries Close: Friday 13th March
Entries Fees: Individual $6.00 per event, Relay $8.00 per team (4 swimmers required to make a team).
PLEASE READ ALL OF THE INFORMATION CAREFULLY to find Qualifying times and all event information can be viewed below. Please note, you have to have qualifying times included in your registration. Qualifying times must be taken to the nearest hundredth of a second to be accepted.
STUDENT ELIGIBILITY
• Students must have swum the qualifying times set out in this document.
• There is no limit on the number of individual events a student can enter.
• There is no limit to the number of relay teams the school can enter. However, students must have entered at least one individual event to be named on a relay team.
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are vital to the successful running of these championships, so each school is asked to provide at least one volunteer for every four students entered. Volunteers will cover roles such as marshalling, timekeeping, announcing, and program sales.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Student Supervision: Students under 10 years MUST pick up a yellow band found in the bin in the facility’s foyer area.
Bands CAN be removed while racing but MUST be worn at all other times. Students can proceed to the marshalling area, then to the start blocks, and upon finishing their race, return to their seats in the Grandstand independently. However, they must be SUPERVISED at all other times. Bands are to be returned to the bin when leaving the facility.
Pool Deck: Only essential personnel (Technical Officials and Timekeepers) are allowed on the pool deck during the competition. Coaches must always remain in their designated area.
General: Be careful in the grandstand, as it can get very slippery. To minimise the risk of injury, all athletes must dry off before using the corridors behind the stands. Athletes are not allowed in the reception area in their swimwear; athletes must be dressed, including shoes. Stairwells, fire exits, and clearways are always to remain clear. No seating is permitted on the bottom row of seats in the grandstand as this is a clearway.
Evacuation Procedure: If the pool requires evacuation, you will be guided by Moana Pool staff. Remain calm and follow their instructions.
• No refunds after entries close unless the student withdraws for medical reasons, in which case a medical certificate must be submitted by the end of the competition.
• Once entries have been processed, the School Entry Report will be provided to Sports Coordinators to confirm all the details. Entries are to be confirmed by Tuesday, 24 March, at 5:00pm.
• The finalised school entry report will be published on Wednesday, 25 March.
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE AND QUALIFYING TIMES
Doors open at 9:00am, and warmup starts at 9:30am, with racing from 10:05am
EVENT NUMBER AND NAME QUALIFYING TIMES (50 METERS)
1. 50m Freestyle – 9 years & under 58 seconds (58.00)
2. 50m Freestyle – 10 years 53 seconds (53.00)
3. 50m Freestyle – 11 years 53 seconds (53.00)
4. 50m Freestyle – 12 years & older 49 seconds (49.00)
Short Break – 10 minutes
5. 4x50m Freestyle Relay – 9 years & under No Qualifying Time
6. 4x50m Freestyle Relay – 10 years No Qualifying Time
7. 4x50m Freestyle Relay – 11 years No Qualifying Time
8. 4x50m Freestyle Relay – 12 years & older No Qualifying Time
Short Break – 10 minutes
9. 50m Backstroke – 9 years & under 1 minute & 6 seconds (1:06.00)
10. 50m Backstroke – 10 years 1 minute & 1 seconds (1:01.00)
11. 50m Backstroke – 11 years 1 minute & 1 seconds (1:01.00)
12. 50m Backstroke – 12 years & older 56 seconds (56.00)
Short Break – 10 minutes
13. 50m Breaststroke – 9 years & under 1 minute & 15 seconds (1:15.00)
14. 50m Breaststroke – 10 years 1 minute & 10 seconds (1:10.00)
15. 50m Breaststroke – 11 years 1 minute & 10 seconds (1:10.00)
16. 50m Breaststroke – 12 years & older 1 minute & 5 seconds (1:05.00)
Short Break – 5 minutes
17. 4x50m Medley Relay – multi-aged No Qualifying Time
CONVERSION FORMULAE
Swimming Otago suggests the following pool conversion formulae be used when required.
• 15-metre pool: Swim 4 lengths and use that time
• 25-metre pool: Swim 2 lengths and use that time
• 33 1/3 metre pool: Swim 1 length and multiply the time swum by 1.6
• 33 1/3 yard pool: Swim 1 length and multiply the time swum by 1.75
CHAMPIONSHIP CONDITIONS
These Championships will be held under Swimming NZ rules, policies, and regulations, in addition to the conditions and criteria outlined in this document.
QUALIFYING TIMES
• Qualifying times are the same for girls and boys – see the previous page for more details.
• Only entries with actual times, to hundredths of a second, will be accepted.
• Only enter students who have equalled or bettered the qualifying times.
• All entries must be accompanied by an entry time; entries without a time will not be accepted.
GENERAL
• The student’s age is as of 29 March 2026.
• All events will be swum short course, starting and finishing at the deep end, turning at the bulkhead.
• The one-start rule will apply.
• The student’s entry time will determine the seeding order – fastest to slowest.
• No substitutions are permitted for either individual or relay events.
• Age Groups for these Championships are 9 years & under, 10 years, 11 years, and 12 years & over.
• All individual events will be swum by age group, mixed gender.
• There shall be no disqualifications; however, blatant breaking of swimming rules or bad sportsmanship will result in no time being recorded.
• There will be no challenges to the official times.
• All participants agree to allow photographs, video, multimedia, or film likeness taken by accredited photographers to be used for any legitimate purpose by Swimming Otago or others that Swimming Otago has approved.
RELAY TEAMS must consist of only students from the same school, and each student must have entered at least one individual event.
• All relay events will be swum mixed gender.
• 4x50m Freestyle Relay events - students must swim in their correct age group.
• 4x50m Medley Relay events - teams can have a mixture of ages. The stroke order is back, breast, fly, free.
• Students can only be named in one freestyle relay team and one medley relay team.
• Names of students for each entered relay team must be submitted with entries.
WARMUP commences at 9:30am and concludes at 10:00am, with racing starting at 10:05am. School personnel will supervise the warm-up session.
• Entry into the pool is always feet first.
• Only the two outside lanes can be used to practise starts.
• There are no warm-down lane/s available during the competition.
MARSHALLING will be in the grandstand at the deep end of the main pool.
• The event number being marshalled will be visible on a whiteboard on the far side of the pool.
• Students are to move to the marshalling area when their event number is displayed.
• Students are to stay with the Marshal until they are given further instructions.
• Students must swim in the correct event, heat and lane as indicated in the programme.
• Students are to return to their seats in the Grandstand using the stairs at the shallow end of the main pool.
WITHDRAWALS are to be emailed to Swimming Otago before the start of the competition. However, during the competition, students wishing to withdraw from an event shall do so on the correct form, signed by the Team Manager, and lodged with the Recorder.
• There are no refunds for withdrawals after the entries close unless the student withdraws for medical reasons, in which case a medical certificate must be submitted by the end of the competition.
RESULTS will be posted as soon as possible on the gym window at the shallow end of the main pool. Meet Mobile will be active throughout the competition. After the Championships, the results will be published on the event page.
RIBBONS will be awarded to the top three (1st, 2nd, 3rd) male and female placegetters in each individual event and the top three teams in the relay events. Following confirmation of all the results and the payment of entry fees, ribbons will be mailed to schools.
MEET PROGRAMME will be available to purchase thirty minutes before warm-up starts in the entrance area.
SEATING: No student, teacher, manager, or coach is to stand or sit on the pool deck during these Championships; use the Grandstand seating until you report to marshalling.
DISCLAIMER: Swimming Otago will not be liable for any loss or damage to your property during this competition.
RACING INFORMATION
Starting Signal
• Freestyle and Breaststroke Events
o Students can choose to use the starting blocks, stand beside the blocks (within their lane) or enter the water and hold onto the rail with at least one hand
o After one long whistle from the Referee, students stand in their starting position
o The starter will say, “TAKE YOUR MARKS”
o Once the beeper sounds, students can start racing
• Backstroke Event
o All backstroke races start in the water
o There will be two whistles
▪ After the first long whistle from the Referee, students must enter the water - feet first
▪ When the second whistle is blown, students are to get ready to race – hold onto the rail with both hands facing the wall
o The Starter will say, “TAKE YOUR MARKS”
o Once the beeper sounds, students can start racing
During the Race
• Students must swim the correct stroke in the event they are racing.
• Students must touch the wall at the turn end – one hand or both feet for Freestyle, one hand for Backstroke and two hands for Breaststroke, before completing their turn.
End of race
• Students must firmly touch the pad at the end of their race to activate the timing system.
o Students must touch correctly at the finish of their race – two hands in the Breaststroke and the Butterfly leg of the medley relay
o Students must wait in their lane until the Referee blows two short whistles
o Students must leave the water from the side of the pool – do not climb over the pads at any time!
• Students are to return to the Grandstand and their team quickly using the steps from the pool deck.
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