The TC has just released the draft rules for National Age Groups. Some of the major changes are highlighted below:
1. One major surprise change which will affect every age group has been made. This being that athlete ages will no longer follow FINA rules - ie age as at 31 December IN the year of the competition. The TC has decided to implement a rule which sets the athletes' age a year older - ie age as at 31 December in the year AFTER the competition.
The consequence of this change is fairly dramatic in that all athletes competing at the top of their age group will have to move up an age category. ie 12yr olds are deemed to be 13 and will need to swim in the 13 to 15 age group and learn the 13 to 15 figures. Athletes who are 15 will need to swim in the Junior Category and learn and apply Junior routine rules. Athletes who are 19 this year will have to move up to the Senior category and learn and apply senior routine rules. This will be very challenging for the athletes as they have spent the year learning figures and routines according to the FINA age rules.
Considering there is only 10 weeks to the competition, these athletes will need to relearn a whole new set of figures as well as a new set of routine rules and possibly choose new routine partners and change routine times.
The rules state that any 12&U and Youth routines that include athletes who now cross age groups cannot be swum. ie a 12&U duet where one athlete is now deemed to be 13 cannot be swum in the 12&U age group and possibly cannot be swum at all, or not for medal placing. The rules are not particularly clear on this point with an allowance for trials being mentioned but no trials information available.
2. There are also no Figures being swum in the Junior and Senior categories.
3. In terms of judging, this will be conducted according to the old rules, yet routine choreography must comply to the new rules.
Coaches cards, a key element of the new regulations, are not required. It is unknown how judges will "assess adherence to element requirements" and what will be assessed in the absence of a coaches card. eg do routines get credit for adhering to higher DoD levels in choreography?
With less than 4 weeks before the first closing date for registrations, we eagerly await the final rules and clarification of the way routines will be able to be swum and judged. Regrettably, no clubs or coaches were consulted about these rule changes in advance.
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