Here you will find information about the various competitive galas that Belper Marlin SC attend throughout the year.
As Belper Marlin is a competitive Swimming Club we encourage all of our swimmers to take part in some or all of the gala opportunities that are available.
Belper Marlin take part in a number of team galas and league competitions throughout the season, for which the team is selected by the coaching staff.
More details here.
We support a number of open meets throughout the season, which vary in level from novice to national entry level.
Usually eligible from 9 years old, age on the date of the competition. Some level 3 meets are age at 31st December.
Eligible at 10 yrs. on the 31st December in the year of the competition
Eligible at 10 yrs. on the 31st December in the year of the competition
Eligible at 10 yrs. on the 31st December in the year of the competition
Annual Event Used as qualification to swim for England squads
Top 24 / Age Group / Event
Belper Marlin take part in a number of team galas and league competitions throughout the season, for which the team is selected by the coaching staff.
The National Arena League is the premier club competition in the country and consists of a number of regional leagues and a national final for the top teams in each region. The club enter a team in the West Midlands region and have achieved considerable success in recent years, having been in the Premier Division for three out of four seasons since 2014.
The Junior League is another national competition with regional leagues and a national final and the club enters two teams (usually) in the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire local league. It is aimed at swimmers who are between 9 and 12 years old on the date of the last of three league rounds, usually at the end of June. The Belper Marlin A Team have reached the Area final for two out of three years since 2015.
For more information about these competitions please follow the links:
www.nationalswimmingleague.org.uk
www.derbynottsjsl.co.uk
Belper Marlin also compete in the 4 Towns Galas swimming against Leek SC, Ashbourne and Dove Valley, each club hosting 1 of 4 rounds. The team with the highest number of aggregate points from each round is awarded the 4 Towns Shield.
Club galas at Belper Marlin Swimming Club consist of Summer Sprints, Ghoul in The Pool (Open Meet) , Club Championships, Time Trials and Sponsored Swim.
Each year the club runs these 3 events all are licenced under ASA Rules and Law.
The idea behind this is that all swims are recorded on the ASA Database and can be viewed on line on the ASA site.
https://www.swimmingresults.org
At the end of each year we hold our annual licensed club championships over four evenings and it is our showcase event for all Belper Marlin swimmers. Only club members are eligible to compete in this competition. This competition provides a great opportunity for the entire club to come together and watch and participate in racing.
Swimmers can compete in 50, 100 & 200m events, depending on age, with an opportunity to achieve qualifying times for the County Championships held in the following year. Swimmers will also compete for individual event trophies in age groups and the 3 perennial trophies for Junior Boy and Girl, Intermediate Boy and Girl and Senior Boy and Girl.
The Summer Sprints is another closed event, open only to club swimmers and they are run over two evenings in June / July. It is a great introduction to competitive swimming for novice swimmers as well as a fun competition for more established swimmers. As the name suggests there are only sprint events, 25m and 50m dependent on age as well as a 100m individual medley and a “skins” event for the fastest swimmers.
This is a very important annual event for Belper Marlin, at which we can show our swimming friends what a great club we are and also raise important additional funds to help the running of the club.
This is a Licenced L3 Meet normally held at The Arc in Matlock.
Clubs from around the county and sometimes further afield attend and compete for the coveted “GHOUL IN THE POOL” Trophy which is held for 1 year. Awards for top Boy and Girl are also awarded on the day.
Level 3 and B grade galas are aimed at novice and improving swimmers up to around regional qualifying standard. There are many of these throughout the season and Belper Marlin support a number of them from the beginning of September until the end of the season in July.
They will usually have an upper limit entry time, so are not suitable for the very fastest swimmers.
Click here to check the club calendar for upcoming open meets.
Attending swimming competitions for the first time can be rather daunting. For information on what to expect, types of competition and how to enter meets we have produced a guide to help and advice.
Click here for Info on How to Enter Galas
Most open meets publish gala information which will include the qualifying criteria and rules laid out by the promoter.
Once you have competed at a level 3 meet you will receive a licenced time for each event. Once added to the club PB List and the Swim England database these become known as a Swimmers PB (Personal Best).
Times achieved here can be used to enter the county and regional championships, which need to be achieved in the qualifying window as set out by the championships.
Level 1 and level 2 open meets are at a higher standard and will have minimum times to be considered for entry. Level 1 times are necessary for entry into National championships and have to be achieved within a qualifying window.
These championships are contested annually and are split into age group and youth galas.
Qualifying times and meet rules/guidelines are set by each regions governing body. Belper Marlin competes in the East Midlands region and details can be found on the relevant website.
East Midlands: www.eastmidlandswimming.co.uk
Times achieved here can be used to enter the ASA National and British Summer Championships
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