“Counties” is the name swimmers often use for the Hampshire County Championships. Swimmers from clubs across Hampshire compete there. Each year, Counties shares its entry rules and the times needed for each age group and event. To enter, you need to achieve the time at a licensed meet that Counties accepts and between the dates it sets. A licensed meet is an official competition that follows Swim England rules. The results are added to Swim England Rankings.

Every Autumn, as the race calendar builds and we head towards Christmas, one question comes up again and again from parents: “How does County Qualification actually work?”

If your swimmer has started competing, you’ve probably heard the term “Licensed Meet.” You might even have seen codes like “Level 3 – LC” on a meet notice and wondered what it all means.

Swim England and Aquatics GB encourage a balanced approach to competition.Young swimmers should experience a range of strokes and distances, including 400 m, 800 m and 1500 m freestyle, to build a strong foundation for future success in the sport. Early distance exposure isn’t about specialising — it develops complete swimmers with the fitness, pacing control and resilience needed to progress confidently through the sport.