A Guide to Competitive Swimming

Galas and Open Meets

The Gala Event Calendar is designed to offer every swimmer the opportunity to develop throughout the year. While it is your responsibility to know your child's current swimming times and enter the appropriate gala, the Coaching Team is here to help you along the way. So please ask if you are not sure, rather than missing an important event in the gala calendar. 

Types of Galas / Meets

• Development Galas - Swimmers are selected for these galas by the Head Coach. Swimming for DLGC is a badge of honour and all swimmers selected should attend these events. Some 'Development' Galas fall into the 'Open Meet' catagory and any competitive swimmer can enter.

• Open Meet Galas - The Club selects a variety of different level galas during the year and this is where you need to decide which ones to enter. Many 'Open' galas have entry times (upper and/or lower qualifying times) which must be achieved to be able to enter. You CANNOT enter a gala without entry times (please do not make up times) and you should use PBs. The only exception to this is when a 'Time Trial' is also on offer at the event.  eg Icebreaker.

• As a rough guide:- 

Level 4 galas - are suitable for development swimmers to gain experience and up to date times. Entry times are generally not needed. 

Level 2 & 3 galas - will have entry times to qualify with upper and lower times to prevent very fast swimmers and novice swimmers entering. These are suitable for squad swimmers wanting more gala experience and improve PB times. 

Level 1 galas - these galas have faster entry times and will be held in a 50m pool giving opportunity for top level swimmers to gain long course PB times. 

• Kent Junior league (swimmers 9-13years) Swimmers are selected by the Head Coach and should make every effort to be available to swim. 
• Arena League (swimmers 11 +) Swimmers are selected by the Head Coach and should make every effort to be available to swim. 
• Kent County, South England Regional, National Championships (England and British). To enter these galas, you will need to achieve qualifying times at licensed galas within a qualifying period.  National Championships are by invitation only, and based on the Top Ranked Swimmers in England or Great Britain. 

What does PB mean?

A PB is a 'Personal Best' or 'fastest time' for each race the swimmer has entered. This is a better measure of achievement than where the swimmer finishes in a race. 

Knowing your or your child's PBs is very important to enable you to check against entry times to different galas, but also allows you and your child to see achievement, and set achievable swimming goals.

PB lists are regularly updated and sent to you to check. 

Time Trial (Time Only)

Disqualifications Codes (DQs)