The National Flippers Squad is an integral part of the Swimming Australia (SA) Performance Pathway. The SA Performance Pathway is designed to prepare swimmers for transition to the Senior National Team and achieve high performance success in and out of the pool.
The Swimming Australia National Flippers Squad is selected each year based on performances at key National Championships. The athletes selected in the squad are deemed to be in the window to become members of the Australian Senior Teams in future years.
The National Flippers Squad supports swimmers who are four to six years from a Senior Podium performance and at the T2 to T4 levels of the Australian Swimming Framework (ASF).
Further Information
To be eligible for the National Flipper’s Squad, an athlete must be:
- Be an Australian citizen.
- Be a current financial member of SA.
National Flippers Squad – Pool
The selection criteria for the 2023/24 National Flippers Squad – Pool is selected based on times swum in the finals at the Australian Age, Open & Trials Championship events as follows:
8th placed time into 2022 World Championships (pool) finals
- plus 2% for females and males up to the age of 23 years
- plus 3% for females aged 19 years and males aged 20 years
- plus 4% for females aged 18 years and males aged 19 years
- plus 5% for females aged 17/u and males aged 18/u
- NB: Times can be found in Appendix 1.
National Flippers Squad – Open Water
The 2023/24 National Flippers Squad for Open Water swimming shall consist of 16 athletes selected from the 2023 Australian Open Water Championships held in January 2023, as follows.
- Top 4 male 18-19yrs 10km
- Top 4 male 16-17yrs 7.5km
- Top 4 female 18-19yrs 10km
- Top 4 female 16-17yrs 7.5km
National Flippers Squad – Additional Swimmers
- Additional swimmers may also be subjectively selected to join the squad based on:
o Potential to successfully represent Australia at major international events.
o Positioning within Australian Rankings
o Meeting identified parameters around
- Technique including distance per stroke, stroke count, stroke rates, pacing, starts, turns, finish skills, competition progression, relative maturation age and training age.
o Results from the SA assessment protocols undertaken at the State Flippers camps.
o Feedback from the program visits of the Performance Pathways Lead Coach and Technical Leads.
Any additional selections will be agreed by the Performance Pathway Technical Lead (Pool) or Pathways OWS Technical Lead, if it is in their opinion the recognised swimmers’ performance indicates accelerated progress and an improved trainability benchmarks and profile.
Athletes selected on 2023 Australian Senior teams shall not be considered for the 2023/24 National Flippers Squad.
Selections for International competition experience will be decided using a pre-advertised selection criteria approved by the High Performance Committee.
Full selection criteria including selection times:
2023-2024 National Flippers Squad – Pool & OWS – Selection Criteria
Selection into the National Flippers Squad enables athletes to be considered for specific Swimming Australia Pathway activities with the aim of preparing identified athletes to successfully transition to the Australian Dolphins Swim Team.
These may include:
- Targeted Talent Program (TTP) activities including stroke and/or event specific camps
- National Flippers Camps \ Activities – Pool and OWS
- Program Visits by SA Technical Leads
- Involvement in educational opportunities
Targeted Talent Program
The objective of the program is to target talented athletes who are on the trajectory for international representation for Australia, be it individually or as relay contributors at the Olympics – Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028. The coaches of these athletes will be also targeted for development alongside their athlete(s).
Fundamental to this program is the need to reinforce our performance in the events we are strong and specifically address the need for improvement in the events in which we need more dept.
The target group will include many athletes in the National Flippers Squad and their coaches. Both parties will be provided with exposure to education and development experiences which will serve to accelerate their development, which will advance the athlete’s capability to perform when it matters. Multiple targeted camps will be conducted as a part of this program.
National Flipper Camps / Activities
A series of National Flipper camps and activities will be held around the country this year. The camps and activities will provide many athletes in the National Flipper squad with the opportunity to develop specific learnings through exposure to training and/or competition felt necessary to help fast track their development.
The design of the camps / activities and swimmer selection will be led by the Swimming Australia Technical Lead in partnership with the State’s Pathway Manager or equivalent. The activities may include a training camp, competition experience or a combination of both. Swimming Australia together with the State may choose to work together for an activity or do it as a standalone.
National OWS Development Camp
The OWS Development Camp brings together our best junior athletes to create opportunities for collaboration, challenges, and innovation. It provides all participants with the opportunity to further develop their training and performance experiences. Part of the camp is also workshops focused on nutrition, tactical preparation, and physio preparation.
Program and Competition Visits
Swimming Australia has a number of Technical Leads working across the country. These experienced coaches will visit many programs of athletes in the National Flippers Squad throughout the year and attend key competitions around the country. The Technical Leads will primarily work with the coach and athlete together on their visits.
Education Opportunities
Members of the National Flippers Squad will be exposed to a number of education opportunities throughout the year as part of their development towards their future in swimming and life. Topics will include sports integrity, psychology, values and behaviours, technique and skills, and much more.
International Competition Experience
In 2023, the Swimming Australia Performance Pathways Program will offer athletes, coaches and support staff with a number of opportunities to represent Australia in international touring teams, with teams selected based on pre-advertised selection criteria.
These include:
- 2023 Open Water Swimming Development Tour, Paris, France
- 2023 World Junior Championships, Netanya, Israel
- 2023 TYR Pro Championships, Irvine CA, USA
- 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games, Trinidad
State Associations in combination with State Institutes and Academies may also off international competition experience opportunities for selected athletes.
