AND 18-24 YEARS AGE GROUP CHAMPIONSHIPS

1st & 2nd October 2016 : NEWBOLD COMYN – ROYAL LEAMINGTON SPA

(UNDER ASA LAWS AND REGULATIONS AND FINA TECHNICAL RULES OF SWIMMING)

• The Joint Midland Masters Committee of the East & West Midland Regions reserves full powers over all Midland Masters Championships.
• Entries will be accepted from eligible competitors who are registered in the year of competition and are members of clubs in affiliation of the ASA, the Scottish or Welsh ASAs, or of any other country affiliated to FINA.
•  All competitors in Masters events must be aged 25 years or over at midnight on 31st December in the year of competition.
•  Protests shall be made and dealt with as detailed in ASA Law. The Promoter is the Joint Masters Committee of the East & West Midland Regions.
•  Closing date for individual entries – 10th September 2016, relay entries will close 17th September 2016.
• Individual entry fee is £5.25 and a relay is £11.00.
• Entries submitted after the closing date will be accepted but an additional £10 per entry will be payable. Entries will only be accepted using the on-line entry form and payment should be made the same day.

THE EVENTS

•  The Joint Masters Committee shall determine the programme of events. The programme currently includes the following events for both men and women : 50, 100, 200, and 400 metres freestyle; 50, 100, and 200 metres breaststroke, butterfly, and backstroke; 100, 200 & 400 metres individual medley; 4 x 50 metres freestyle and medley relays (mixed (2 women and 2 men), all men and all women)
•  400m individual events will be swum with men and women seeded together, results will be separate.
•  Age groups for individual Masters events shall be 25-29 years, 30-34 years and upwards in 5-year bands as required.
•  Entry standards or restrictions may be applied.
•  All events shall be heat declared winner.
•  Age groups for team events shall be 72+ years, 100-119 years, 120-159 years, 160-199 years, 200-239 years, and upwards in 40-year bands as required. Swimmers in the 72+ years relay events must be 18 years of age or over on 31 December in the year of competition. Swimmers in Masters team events (100-119 years + etc.) must be 25 years of age or over on 31 December in the year of competition.
•  Team events shall be open to teams from any affiliated clubs. A club may enter more than one team in any age category.
•  A competitor may represent only one club in the Championships and swim in only one relay per event.
•  The 18-24 age group individual championships will be swum concurrently and seeded with the corresponding Masters individual events. The general conditions applying to these events shall be those of the Midland Age Group Individual Swimming Championships except that all events shall be heat declared winner events and where the conditions for Masters competitions differ they shall apply.
•  All events entered must be paid for, no refund will be given if you withdrawal from an event after the closing date.

PROCEDURE

•  Entries must be made through the website www.icklepeoplesoftware.co.uk.
•  Acceptance of an entry is at the discretion of the promoter. Incomplete or inaccurate entries, particularly those not accompanied by the entry fee, may not be accepted. (If using the on-line form, payment needs to be made within two dates via bank transfer, otherwise the entry will not be processed.)
•  The information provided on the entry form shall be regarded as definitive.
•  The secondary entry system will operate for the 400m Freestyle & 400m Ind. Medley. Competitors must confirm their participation as instructed.
•  Relay declaration forms should be submitted 30 minutes from the session start time. Failure will result in the team been unable to swim. (download declaration form)
•  Where applicable, failure to make this secondary entry within the stipulated time will cancel the swimmer’s right to compete in an event. However, swimmers will be allowed to swim in unallocated lanes of the earlier heats, of the same event, if available. This will be on a first-come first-served basis.
•  Competitors will be allocated lanes in graduated time order, slowest to fastest. Swimmers with no times will be seeded in the slowest heats for the event.
•  Medals or other awards shall be presented as determined by the Joint Masters Committee.

SESSION START TIMES & WARM-UP

•  The first Session on Saturday & Sunday will start at 9.30 am. The start times of the other sessions will be advised by email and available on the West Midland Swimming website and www.icklepeoplesoftware.co.uk.
•  Warm-ups will be for one hour before the start time, except for session one which will be 30 minutes.

CONFIRMATION OF ENTRIES

•  Confirmation will be published on the website by 19th September 2016, a running list of entries received will be added periodically.
•  All competitors will receive an email confirmation if they have provided a valid, readable email address.
•  An entry will only be accepted (and shown on the websites) once a valid entry form and payment has been received.
•  If there is a discrepancy ring Tony Ward on 01902 752579 or email tony.ward@westmidlandswimming.org / icklepeople@btopenworld.com, no later than 8.30pm on 27th September 2016.
•  No changes will be made to entries, entry times or relay age bands after this cut-off, swimmers/teams will be required to swim as detailed in the programme of events.
•  All competitors will be emailed a full programme of events on the evening of the 29th September 2016.

MIDLAND MASTERS DISCLAIMER

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ THIS DISCLAIMER CAREFULLY. ANY QUERIES SHOULD BE RAISED WITH THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF THE EAST OR WEST MIDLAND REGIONS. 

•  I am aware of the need to seek appropriate medical advice if I have any concerns as to the state of my health. I have not been informed by any medical practitioner and I do not have any knowledge of any medical condition which would make it inadvisable for me to participate in Masters Swimming events or any other associated activities. Accordingly I hereby certify that I am physically fit and well to participate in any such training and events.
•  I am aware of and appreciate the inherent risks involved in such training and competition including the possibilities of injury and accident. I undertake to always conduct myself in a responsible and professional manner.
•  I undertake at all times to use my best endeavours to train and compete in a safe and proper manner and not to do anything which would expose myself or fellow swimmers to unnecessary risk of injury.
•  I further undertake at all times to take all reasonable safety measures for the protection of myself and fellow swimmers and to inform the Referee of any concerns I may have as regards safety.
•  I acknowledge that during Masters Swimming events the Joint Masters Committee of the East and West Midlands cannot be held responsible for any  loss or damage to personal belongings and that I must take all reasonable steps against any such loss or damage.
•  I hereby agree to abide by and be governed by the rules of the Amateur Swimming Association and all other laws and regulations applicable including the ASA Safety Laws and the Conditions of the Joint Masters Committee of the East & West Midland Region.