South African National Age Group Championships will take on a hybrid format this year. International clubs are invited to join our local athletes at the in-person championships, or enter virtually.
Venue
Please NOTE: Pool depth is 2m.
Above is a schematic of the layout of the Routine Competition Pool. The Competition pool for both Figures and Routines is indoor.
Routines will be swum against the lane lines. The Warm Up Pool is outdoors and has a 2m long shallow step at the opposite end to the side marked “Start”.
No access will be allowed via the doors next to the Music Table.
There will be a gazebo outside for the Call Room.
During swim throughs in order of appearance, athletes in the event (ONLY), may warm up in the 3m section of the competition pool beyond the lane rope.
Entries
The competition is run according to FINA (refer FINA handbook) and SSA rules.
All SA swimmers must be registered with SSA and registration numbers must be included on the entry form. International clubs must be from countries affiliated to FINA and have clearance to compete. International clubs will have option to enter virtually. The virtual component of the event is reserved for non-SA clubs.
Virtual event results will be combined with the in-person results to determine overall rankings and awards. There will be separate awards for SA medalists.
Entries are now CLOSED.
For more information please contact Competition Manager, Sue.
Virtual Event
Figures Videos: Videos submitted must be of good viewing quality. The entire figure must be visible from start to finish and be recorded from a judges’ perspective. Allow a 3s lead in and 3s after completion of each figure. No editing allowed. Swimmer must be 1.5m from edge of pool and start in front of “centre judge”. Camera must be held steady in position of “centre judge”.
Name of swimmer, club, age group and figure must accompany each video. i.e. J.SOAP_BSSC_OPEN_PORPOISE TWIST SPIN
If the video is deemed to be of poor quality or does not conform to specified requirements, the athlete will be required to re-submit within a 24 hour period.
Figure videos must be sent by WeTransfer to emmamannerswood@gmail.com by midnight of 5 Dec 2021.
Routine Videos: A full video of each routine must be filmed, without interruption, using filming guidelines provided. The video must be non-edited (continuous) and include a full walk on and must also film all the athletes getting out of the water, just like in a live competition. Whenever possible, videos should be filmed inside, to avoid the glare that comes with outdoor pools and to conform with the in-person event.
Performance Window: Videos must be filmed within the allowed filming window (26-30 November). A numerical identification code will be sent to each club by midnight (CAT) on 25 November (closing date for entries). The code will need to be displayed prior to the team walk on and again once the athletes have exited the water.
Submitting Videos: All routine videos must be submitted before the final submission deadline (midnight 30 November CAT) via WeTransfer to emmamannerswood@gmail.com
Video Resolution: All videos must be filmed at a resolution of 1080p HD, at 30 frames per second (fps).
Position for Filming: The videographer should be at the side of the pool, exactly in the middle (at 12.5m for 25m pools), 1m from the water edge, with the starting platform to their right. The camera should be elevated to 1.8m (6 ft) from the ground, which is the average height from which judges watch routines. Whenever possible, tripods should be used. Zooming should be used extremely carefully.
Sound: It is recommended that sound be fed directly into the camera by a cable to ensure best sound.
Compulsory Considerations: Videos that do not meet the minimum requirements will not be accepted for entry to the competition. Federations will be notified and given the opportunity to re-submit:
• Video must be filmed in landscape mode (horizontal)
• All limbs of all athletes on the screen at all times
• NO talking or noise must be heard other than music
• NO major glare which would prevent judges from accurately seeing the routine must be present
Tournament Costumes
Orders can be placed by clubs HERE. Orders due by 5 November 2021.