A guide to the annual swim meet calendar

Understanding the hierarchy and schedule of swimming meets can be confusing! This page explains the different categories of swimming meets that your child can participate in.

There are opportunities for all levels of swimmer, and you can choose which swimming meets you would like to participate in.

Swim seasons

There are two seasons within the annual swimming calendar:

  • Short course (25 metre) runs from the start of May to October.

  • Long course (50 metre) runs from October until the end of March.

Club nights

Club nights are short, informal race meets held on regular Friday nights during the winter months at Warragul Leisure Centre. Only Warragul Swimming Club members compete. These meets are a fun, supportive opportunity for new swimmers to practice race skills like marshalling, block starts with the starter’s gun, and finishing with touchpads. We also hold short (less than 20 minutes) sessions for parents to learn about different aspects of the club’s operations, or to provide other updates. A great opportunity to meet other parents.

Gippsland meets

Gippsland Swimming Incorporated (GSI) is the umbrella organisation that coordinates swimming meets between Gippsland clubs. Each year there is a schedule of short course (25 metre) and long course (50 metre) swimming meets. The meets rotate through the various Gippsland swimming clubs. Swimmers must compete in a minimum of three GSI events to qualify for the Gippsland Championships.

Gippsland Championships (Gippies)

Typically held over the Labour Day long weekend, the Gippsland Championships (“Gippies”) is the major Gippsland swimming meet, and marks the conclusion of Gippsland swim meets for the summer (long-course) season.

Country Championships (Countries)

Country Championships (“Countries”) is the major meet for all Victorian country-based swimming clubs. Qualifying times are published at the start of each season. The location rotates annually between major regional centres such as Traralgon, Bendigo, Geelong, and Mildura. The short course Countries are usually held in August, while the long course Countries are usually held in January.

Victorian State Championships (States)

The Victorian State Championships (“States”) is the major meet for all Victorian swimming clubs – country and metropolitan. Qualifying times are published at the start of each season. The location is always the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC) at Albert Park. The short course States are usually held in October, and the long course States are usually held in December.

Australian Age Championships (Nationals)

The Australian Age Championships (“Nationals”) is the pinnacle meet for junior (13-18 year-old) Australian swimmers. It typically takes place in April, with the location varying from year-to-year.

Other swim meets

There are other specialised meets dotted throughout this hierarchy, focused on junior swimmers, open (all ages) swimming or sprints (50 metre events).