“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.

Understanding the higher entry standards As swimmers progress through competitive swimming, questions naturally shift from “What are Counties?” to “What comes next?” For many swimmers, that next step is the Swim England South East Region Long Course Championships — often referred to simply as Regionals. For 2026, the entry standards are faster than in previous seasons.

"Swimmers’ Journals capture the moments, memories, and turning points that shape a Bluefins swimmer — from races and PBs to confidence, setbacks, comebacks, friendships, and insights away from the pool." I joined Bluefins over the summer break, not really knowing what to expect from a new club where I didn’t know anyone. I was small, skinny, and hardly looked like a swimmer. My parents only put me in lessons because they couldn’t swim themselves.

World Aquatics Points (shown as WA Pts on Swim England Rankings) offer a universal way to compare swimming performances — even when events, distances, and ages differ. They help swimmers and parents understand the quality of a swim, not just the finish time.

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?”

Just like every club swimmer, Bluefins love a new hat. Whether it’s for training or racing, there’s just something about pulling on a new hat that makes you feel part of something bigger. Since our 2020 relaunch, hats have become more than just kit — they’ve become part of our identity and culture. Outside the club, our hats spark plenty of curiosity too — and one of the questions we’re asked most often is: “What are the different hats about?”

Understanding progress in a sport that feels different Every swimmer begins with a dream — from learning new skills to qualifying for Counties, breaking a time barrier, or one day reaching Nationals. But a dream on its own isn’t enough. To make it real, you need structure, direction, and a plan. That’s why we set goals.

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.

If your child is in our Skills Academy, Competitive Development, or County Development Squads, you may have already come across Swim England Rankings. This is often the first moment swimming feels “official” — times appear online, filters sort results, and suddenly every swim has a number attached to it. 🏊‍♂️📲