Gala Info

There are many different types of gala to choose from and it can seem very daunting for new swimmers and their parents. Swimmers are encouraged to compete in galas when they are of a suitable age and ability.

Except for our own annual Club Championships, and regular time trials, a swimmer may not compete in a gala until they are 9 years old; the cut-off date is usually the day of the gala, or the end date of a series of galas, eg the N&D Autumn Series or the Junior 'Diddy' League.

This explains why the ASA fees increase for a category 2 swimmer - this category allows swimmers to compete in galas

Swimmers usually require a qualifying time for each event they wish to enter. Time trials are held throughout the year to enable swimmers to get these times.

Some galas require swimmers to have qualifying times SLOWER than the entry times; some galas are designed for FASTER swimmers.

It is possible to enter a gala without a time for a particular event, but if the gala is oversubscribed, these swimmers are usually rejected first.

Heats in each event are usually seeded on the entry times submitted so that swimmers are competing against others of a similar standard.

Races are usually swum as a Heat Declared WInner events; this means that the fastest swimmer over all the heats wins the event, without a final swim-off having to be organised

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