Swimming qualifying times
Every published cut for the NSW, Queensland, Victorian and Australian Age championships SwimDNA models — laid out by age group and event, with the age-at-meet rule that decides which row a swimmer is measured against.
Pick a state or the national meet
Each championship page carries its own rules, eligibility and source, because they differ meet by meet.
New South Wales
- NSW Metro SC Championships · 5 age groups
- NSW Country SC Championships · 5 age groups
- NSW Senior State Age SC · 4 age groups
- NSW Youth State Age SC · 5 age groups
- NSW Youth Metro LC · 4 age groups
- NSW Senior State Age LC · 7 age groups
- NSW Country LC · 9 age groups
- NSW Senior Metro LC · 6 age groups
- NSW Youth State Age LC · 4 age groups
Queensland
- Queensland Championships · 7 age groups
- Queensland Short Course · 7 age groups
- Queensland Country · 8 age groups
Victoria
- Victorian Metro LC · 7 age groups
- Victorian Country LC · 7 age groups
- Victorian Age LC · 6 age groups
- Victorian Age SC · 6 age groups
Australia
- Australian Age · 6 age groups
All championships
The Metropolitan short-course championships — the first championship step for swimmers at Sydney-area clubs.
NSW · 2026 standards
The Country short-course championships — the regional championship for swimmers at Country-area NSW clubs.
NSW · 2026 standards
The senior half of the NSW State Age short-course championships, for swimmers aged 14 and over.
NSW · 2026 standards
The under-14 counterpart to the Senior State Age championships, for swimmers aged 9 to 13.
NSW · 2026 standards
The long-course Metropolitan championships for swimmers aged 9 to 12 — the first championship step of the long-course season for Sydney-area clubs.
NSW · 2026–27 standards
The long-course Senior State Age championships, for swimmers aged 12 and over — the only NSW championship where a short-course time cannot be used to enter.
NSW · 2026–27 standards
The long-course Country championships, for swimmers at Country-area NSW clubs — one meet covering the full age range, from 9 years to open.
NSW · 2027 standards
The long-course Metropolitan championships for swimmers aged 13 and over — the senior counterpart to the Youth Metropolitan meet in November.
NSW · 2026–27 standards
The long-course Youth State Age championships, for swimmers aged 9 to 12 — the under-13 counterpart to the Senior State Age meet in December.
NSW · 2026–27 standards
Queensland's marquee state age championships, held around December in long course.
QLD · 2026 standards
Queensland's short-course state championships, held around August — the meet that also runs a 100 IM.
QLD · 2026 standards
The Country championships, held around January, for swimmers at Country-eligible Queensland clubs.
QLD · 2026 standards
The Metropolitan long-course championships — the regional championship for swimmers at Melbourne-area Victorian clubs.
VIC · 2026–27 standards
The Country long-course championships, for swimmers at Country-area Victorian clubs.
VIC · 2026–27 standards
Victoria's marquee state age championships, held in December in long course.
VIC · 2026–27 standards
Victoria's short-course state age championships, held in August — the meet that also runs a 100 IM.
VIC · 2026 standards
Swimming Australia's national age championships — the top of the age-group pathway, and long course only.
Australia · 2026 standards
Age groups are decided by the age a swimmer will be on the meet's age-as-at date — not their age when they swim the qualifying time. That's why a September birthday can leave a swimmer in the younger group for one more season.
What parents ask about cut times
How is a swimmer's age group decided?
By the age the swimmer will be on the meet's age-as-at date, not their age today. Every meet publishes its own date, and they differ widely — the 2026 NSW Metro short-course championships used 31 July 2026, while the 2026/27 NSW Senior State Age championships use 15 December 2026. A swimmer with a birthday just after a meet's date still swims in the younger group for that meet. Each page below states the date it applies.
Can a short course time qualify for a long course meet?
It depends on the meet, so check the page for the one you are entering. Most NSW championships — Metro, Country and the short-course State Age meets — accept a qualifying swim on either course. The exception is the long-course Senior State Age Championships, which states plainly that short-course times will not be accepted. Swimming Queensland publishes a separate long-course and short-course standard, and a swim on either qualifies. Victoria's long-course meets — Metro, Country and the Mattioli Age Championships — are long course only, while its short-course Age Championships accept a long-course time unconverted. The Australian Age Championships are long course only.
How often do qualifying times change?
Each governing body republishes its standards ahead of a season or edition. The tables here are the most recent published set, and each page states which season it came from. Always confirm against the official meet information before entering.
Which states does SwimDNA cover?
SwimDNA models the New South Wales, Queensland and Victorian championship pathways, plus the national Australian Age Championships. Other states aren't modelled yet. The free Rate My Swim tool works for any swimmer's time regardless of state — it just can't show you a state pathway we don't cover.
Is that time fast enough?
A cut table tells you the target. Rate My Swim tells you how close a swimmer actually is — enter an age, event and time and see the gap to every standard above, plus where the time ranks for that age group.
Rate My Swim is free and needs no sign-up. A free SwimDNA profile takes a minute to set up.