USA Swimming has published the time standards for the 2014 Winter Short Course Championships, and have followed suit from summer nationals, including 18 and under bonus times at the Winter National Championship Meet. Until this year, USA Swimming has only used bonus entries for smaller meets such as sectionals and Junior Nationals. This is the first year we have seen bonus entries at the national championship meets. This is USA Swimming’s interpretation of rules that many federations around the world also have where there are different time standards for athletes in different age ranges. These sorts of rules ensure that young athletes have the opportunity to gain the experience at these major meets while still maintaining a high standard of entry for adult athletes.
The other interesting story line to follow that comes along with these time standards is that there aren’t any changes in the time standards from 2013 to 2014 for the winter junior national championships or the senior national championships. Even the junior bonus times stayed the same for the junior national meet.
USA Swimming tweeted some lofty goals for their performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics, which we are just over two years away from. The lack of change in these time standards could represent a few things. Option 1: Swimmers on track to meet USA Swimming’s lofty goals. Option 2: Swimmers are falling behind where USA Swimming expects them to be and is adding bonus entires to try to allow swimmers to gain experience and learn to perform at the national and eventually, international level. Or, Option 3: USA Swimming is taking their focus away from short course meets and focusing their efforts on the long course season. I am not saying any of these are right or wrong, they are just thoughts. You can be the one to decide what you think.
The winter national championships are scheduled to take place Dec. 4-6th in Greensboro, North Carolina. The junior national championships are scheduled for the following weekend, Dec. 11-13th in Federal Way, Washington.
The 2014 Winter National Championship Time Standards:
Women Men
| LCM | SCM | SCY | Events | SCY | SCM | LCM |
| 26.69 | 26.19 | 23.29 | 50 Fr | 20.59 | 22.89 | 23.59 |
| 57.69 | 56.29 | 50.89 | 100 Fr | 45.19 | 49.99 | 51.79 |
| 2:04.59 | 2:01.49 | 1:49.69 | 200 Fr | 1:39.09 | 1:49.89 | 1:53.29 |
| 4:20.79 | 4:12.29 | 4:51.99 | 400/500 Fr | 4:28.89 | 3:52.49 | 4:01.09 |
| 8:54.49 | 8:42.99 | 10:01.19 | 800/1000 Fr | 9:20.59 | 8:10.09 | 8:21.49 |
| 17:06.69 | 16:34.79 | 16:45.19 | 1500/1650 Fr | 15:34.89 | 15:17.79 | 15:59.99 |
| 1:05.49 | 1:02.59 | 56.49 | 100 Bk | 50.49 | 55.89 | 58.59 |
| 2:19.89 | 2:15.39 | 2:01.19 | 200 Bk | 1:49.39 | 2:01.59 | 2:06.69 |
| 1:13.79 | 1:11.99 | 1:04.09 | 100 Br | 56.79 | 1:03.19 | 1:05.59 |
| 2:39.19 | 2:34.89 | 2:18.29 | 200 Br | 2:03.39 | 2:17.79 | 2:22.89 |
| 1:03.19 | 1:01.99 | 55.89 | 100 Fl | 49.79 | 54.49 | 55.99 |
| 2:17.89 | 2:15.89 | 2:02.69 | 200 Fl | 1:50.19 | 2:00.69 | 2:04.59 |
| 2:21.89 | 2:17.59 | 2:03.69 | 200 IM | 1:51.39 | 2:03.19 | 2:08.19 |
| 4:58.59 | 4:52.09 | 4:22.99 | 400 IM | 3:57.79 | 4:23.59 | 4:32.59 |
| 3:52.69 | None | 3:23.39 | 4X100 Fr-R | 3:00.69 | None | 3:29.29 |
| 8:22.19 | None | 7:18.99 | 4×200 Fr-R | 6:41.29 | None | 7:42.79 |
| 4:18.29 | None | 3:44.19 | 4×100 Med-R | 3:16.99 | None | 3:50.09 |
The 2014 Winter National Championship 18&u Bonus Standards:
| – | Girls | Bonus | Boys | – |
| LCM | SCY | Events | SCY | LCM |
| 26.99 | 23.49 | 50 Fr | 20.99 | 24.39 |
| 58.39 | 50.99 | 100 Fr | 45.79 | 52.89 |
| 2:05.39 | 1:49.79 | 200 Fr | 1:40.29 | 1:56.29 |
| 4:23.79 | 4:52.09 | 400/500 Fr | 4:32.69 | 4:06.29 |
| 9:03.49 | 10:03.59 | 800/1000 Fr | 9:25.49 | 8:33.79 |
| 17:20.49 | 16:46.19 | 1500/1650 Fr | 15:46.99 | 16:14.99 |
| 1:05.59 | 56.59 | 100 Bk | 50.99 | 59.69 |
| 2:20.69 | 2:01.29 | 200 Bk | 1:50.69 | 2:09.59 |
| 1:14.29 | 1:04.29 | 100 Br | 57.69 | 1:07.59 |
| 2:40.09 | 2:19.79 | 200 Br | 2:05.89 | 2:27.19 |
| 1:03.39 | 55.99 | 100 Fl | 50.09 | 57.39 |
| 2:19.59 | 2:03.29 | 200 Fl | 1:51.59 | 2:08.19 |
| 2:22.49 | 2:03.79 | 200 IM | 1:52.49 | 2:10.49 |
| 5:01.89 | 4:23.69 | 400 IM | 4:00.19 | 4:38.39 |
2014 Winter Junior National Time Standards and Bonus Standards:
| – | Girls | – | Boys | – |
| LCM | SCY | Events | SCY | LCM |
| 26.99 | 23.49 | 50 Fr | 20.99 | 24.39 |
| 58.39 | 50.99 | 100 Fr | 45.79 | 52.89 |
| 2:05.39 | 1:49.79 | 200 Fr | 1:40.29 | 1:56.29 |
| 4:23.79 | 4:52.09 | 400/500 Fr | 4:32.69 | 4:06.29 |
| 9:03.49 | 10:03.59 | 800/1000 Fr | 9:25.49 | 8:33.79 |
| 17:20.49 | 16:46.19 | 1500/1650 Fr | 15:46.99 | 16:14.99 |
| 1:05.59 | 56.59 | 100 Bk | 50.99 | 59.69 |
| 2:20.69 | 2:01.29 | 200 Bk | 1:50.69 | 2:09.59 |
| 1:14.29 | 1:04.29 | 100 Br | 57.69 | 1:07.59 |
| 2:40.09 | 2:19.79 | 200 Br | 2:05.89 | 2:27.19 |
| 1:03.39 | 55.99 | 100 Fl | 50.09 | 57.39 |
| 2:19.59 | 2:03.29 | 200 Fl | 1:51.59 | 2:08.19 |
| 2:22.49 | 2:03.79 | 200 IM | 1:52.49 | 2:10.49 |
| 5:01.89 | 4:23.69 | 400 IM | 4:00.19 | 4:38.39 |
| 3:59.19 | 3:29.49 | 4X100 Fr-R | 3:08.09 | 3:38.49 |
| 8:35.39 | 7:41.39 | 4×200 Fr-R | 6:52.59 | 7:53.39 |
| 4:25.79 | 3:51.09 | 4×100 Med-R | 3:28.79 | 4:01.19 |
| – | – | Bonus | – | – |
| 27.49 | 24.29 | 50 Fr | 21.49 | 24.69 |
| 59.59 | 52.29 | 100 Fr | 46.69 | 53.79 |
| 2:07.89 | 1:52.99 | 200 Fr | 1:42.09 | 1:57.69 |
| 4:28.29 | 5:00.29 | 400/500 Fr | 4:36.59 | 4:08.99 |
| 9:11.19 | 10:15.29 | 800/1000 Fr | 9:34.29 | 8:38.59 |
| 17:37.69 | 17:14.39 | 1500/1650 Fr | 16:03.79 | 16:34.59 |
| 1:07.29 | 58.49 | 100 Bk | 52.49 | 1:00.79 |
| 2:24.79 | 2:05.79 | 200 Bk | 1:53.59 | 2:11.89 |
| 1:16.19 | 1:06.29 | 100 Br | 58.89 | 1:09.49 |
| 2:43.79 | 2:23.09 | 200 Br | 2:08.59 | 2:28.99 |
| 1:05.19 | 57.89 | 100 Fl | 51.29 | 58.39 |
| 2:22.99 | 2:06.19 | 200 Fl | 1:53.69 | 2:10.19 |
| 2:26.39 | 2:08.29 | 200 IM | 1:55.09 | 2:12.79 |
| 5:07.29 | 4:30.69 | 400 IM | 4:05.69 | 4:42.39 |
From a cost perspective and convenience I like this but am not sure if it is a generally good thing for young swimmers. My question: Will they have a separate final for 18 and younger swimmers similar to the program format for this summer’s seniors?
Junior Nationals being held in Federal Way, Washington. The travel time and expense is considerable to anyone east of the Mississippi, especially during the school year. Too bad they can’ take it more centrally located.
What’s the point of this? That’s what junior nationals is for
Skinny – to swim an even with a bonus standard, the athletes would still have to earn at least one senior nationals cut. So the purpose is to take the top-end of the Junior Nationals qualifiers, and give them more than one swim at senior nationals.
Which is not to say that I necessarily like it (I’m still having an internal debate on the matter), but I’d guess that’s the rationale.
I feel you should always be at Seniors if you have the cut. Many coaches feel the need to have a Jr. Nat. finalist on their resume instead of getting their swimmers to the next level where they will struggle at first.
That is the same logic that was used when the great wisdom of Pursley. Quick, Shubert, Wood and Sterkle that caused the Jrs to be dropped and then NCSA brought it back then USSwimmming got back in snd now the Clearwater group. Unless the swimmer is a stud why do they want to hang out got one event or so with all the older swimmers in both sexes . Times have changed. This seems to be a weak appeasement unnecessary.
Not sure what you’re saying here Coach George….. Should a swimmer with multiple JRs cuts but a single SR Nats cut swim at JRs or SRs?
It’s one thing to have bonus standards for 18&under…even though like others said if they have a sr cut they should be at srs not jrs…but will it be like world champ trials and this summers pan PAC trials where the C final is limited to 18&under? To me it just doesn’t make sense. Either you make the cut or you don’t. There shouldn’t be exceptions just because of age.
Is it my imagination (or eyes playing tricks on me) or are the 18&U Bonus times at Nationals simply the Juniors cut times?
The bonus cut times are the same as the junior national cut times. The swimmers will still need to have a senior cut time to be able to swim a bonus events in Greensboro.
Understood. My guess (purely speculative) is that it might make it worthwhile for an East Coast kid with a single (or a couple) SR cut(s) but multiple JRs cuts to make the trip to Federal Way to mix it up with the big boys, and would encourage West Coast kids in the same situation to head to Federal Way rather than incur the extra travel costs and time to head East for JRs.
That doesn’t feel like a bad outcome to me, unless the SRs meet becomes unmanageable and the JRs meet is under-subscribed.
Obviously I got that backwards. What I meant was that East Coast kids with a single Nats cut could go to Greensboro and West Coast kids in that situation could to JRs in Federal Way.