Update: SwimSwam reached out to FINA for an updated list, and while FINA did not respond directly to that request, the list has been updated to include 2017 Pro Swim Series meets.
FINA has posted an initial list of meets that are approved qualifying meets for the 2017 World Championships. While more meets will be added between now and the meet’s July 14th start date of the World Championships, the current list is a starting point for swimmers looking for meets by which to qualify for the World Championships.
The current list does not include any meets in the 2017 Arena Pro Swim Series, though all of the meets from the 2016 series are on the list. It also doesn’t include any remaining meets in Australia or Africa. Ironically, the list also does not include last summer’s Olympic Games in Rio.
These meets are significant in that, beyond the more obvious ones like major swimming countries’ national championships and formal trials meets, it gives a guideline for meets where top tier swimmers from smaller countries might target for their qualifying times. At times, these swimmers are contenders for semi-finals, finals, or even medals at the Olympics; but even when they’re not, these countries arriving at meets with their eyes on qualifying times gives the events a certain elevated level of sincerity for all swimmers.
While FINA has not yet released the qualifying procedures for the 2017 World Championships, historically there have been two standards: an ‘A’ standard and a ‘B’ standard. If a country wishes to enter two swimmers into any one individual event, both of those swimmers must meet the ‘A’ standard. Otherwise, countries can enter 1 swimmer with a ‘B’ standard. These are the FINA-minimum rules, though many countries hold their swimmers to stricter standards for purposes .
Under past qualifying criteria, all countries have been allowed to enter 2 male and 2 female athletes even without hitting the time standards.
To see the current list of available qualifying meets, which should be continually updated, click here.
The 2017 FINA World Aquatics Championships will take place from July 14th-30th, 2017 in Budapest, Hungary.
Good eye Nance. I actually emailed them yesterday while writing the article, and even though they didn’t respond, I would assume that the update is their response.