Fact Sheet

Swimming

Entries Close soon

Entries close on Friday 10th April 2009. The acceptance of late entries will be at the discretion of the Meet Director. Any prospective competitors who are yet to complete the accreditation process and enter their events should do so as soon as possible

Pool Event Details

The swimming competition will be held from Sunday 10th May to Tuesday 12th May 2009. Separate events will be held for male and female swimmers in the following age groups: 12 years and under, 13/14 years, 15/16 years, 17 and over, Open (limited events) and multi disability.

A swimmer may compete in his/her age group and open events only. No entry standards will apply and heats will be seeded in accordance with FINA Rules.

An invitational 100 metre freestyle event for male and female will also be held. Entrants for this event will be selected from the eight fastest competitors in the age events.

The multi-disability events will incorporate the Oceania Open Paralympic Championships.

Open Water Swim Details

A 5km and 10 km open water swim for male and female competitors will be held on Wednesday 13 May 2009. While the events are open, there are minimum age restrictions placed upon prospective competitors. The 5km event will only be open to athletes who are aged 13 years and above as at the date of the competition. The 10km event will be open to atheletes who are aged 14 years and above as at the date of the competition. Competitors can choose to compete in both events which will be run simultaneously.

A detailed map depicting the surveyed course and a document with further information about the these events (including registration and race times) has been uploaded to the website.

Event Location

Pool events will be held at Casuarina Swimming Pool, which is approximately fifteen minutes from the city area and five minutes from the Marrara Sporting Complex. The pool is 50 metres in length, has wheelchair access to pool deck and some spectator areas. The venue has amenities suitable for athletes with a disability and spectators.

The 5km and 10km open water swims will be held at Lake Bennett, which is approximately 80kms south of Darwin. Coach transport will be provided for participants.

Event Rules

The swimming competition will be conducted under FINA and Swimming Australia Limited (SAL) Rules. For pool events all ompetitors must have a clearance to compete from their FINA affiliated National organisation (international competitors) or State body (Australian competitors).

For open water events competitors who are not members of FINA affiliated organisations must have a clearance from their National sporting organisation (international competitors) or State body (Australian competitors).

For example a triathlete from the Northern Territory wishing to compete in an open water event must provide a clearance from Triathlon Northern Territory; a triathlete from Fiji wishing to compete in an open water event must provide a clearance from the Fiji Triathlon Association; a triathlete from New Zealand must provide a clearance from Triathlon New Zealand.

Swimming Program

The following events will be included in the Arafura Games swimming program:

Events for age groups 12 & under, 13-14 years, 15-16 years and 17 and over include:	The following open events will be held in addition to the age category events:	The following open multi-disability events will be held:

50m Freestyle	200 metres Freestyle	50m Freestyle (S1 to S15)
50m Backstroke	200 metres Backstroke	100m Freestyle (S1 to S15)
50m Breaststroke	200 metres Breaststroke	200m Freestyle (S1 to S5)
50m Butterfly	200 metres Butterfly	400m Freestyle (S6 to S15)
100m Freestyle	400 metres Freestyle	50m Backstroke (S1 to S15)
100m Backstroke	4 x 100m Medley Relay	100m Backstroke (S6 to S15)
100m Breaststroke	400m Individual Medley	50m Butterfly (S1 to S15)
100m Butterfly 200m Individual medley	5km Open Water swim 10km Open Water swim Invitation 100m Freestyle***	100m Butterfly (S8 to S15) 50m Breaststroke(SB1 to SB15) 100m Breaststroke (SB4 to SB15)
		150m Individual Medley (SM1 to SM4)
		200m Individual Medley (SM5 to SM15)

Classifications

Please view the OPC Fact Sheet for information on Classification.

S14 and S15 Swimmers will have to show proof of membership to their relevant organisation. All Australian Athletes with an Intellectual Disability should be a member of AUSRAPID. International athletes should be members of INAS-FID. All Australian Deaf athletes should be a member of Deaf Sports Australia and international Deaf athletes need to show appropriate membership to their National Sports Association.

Frequently Asked Questions

What about accommodation for my team and officials?
Darwin has a variety of accommodation to suit all budgets, tastes and special requirements. Almost all of Darwin's accommodation houses are located close to the Central Business District (CBD) and a short drive from sporting venues. An accommodation service will be available closer to the Games.

What is accreditation?
If you are a competitor, team official, sport official or volunteer you must complete the accreditation form. This can be done either online or you can complete a paper accreditation form. If you choose to complete the accreditation form online, there is a `Guide to Accreditation' on the Arafura Website. From the Arafura home page just select the Sports and Results section, then select `Swimming' and then select `Documents'. You need to attach a passport-style photograph when you accredit online. If you choose to complete a paper accreditation form remember that you must also include a passport-style photograph with the form. Please write your full name and date of birth on the back of the photograph and send the form and photograph to Accreditation, GPO Box 1448, Darwin NT 0801, Australia.

How many relay teams can each team enter?
In accordance with the Arafura Charter, one team is allowed per contingent pr event. This means that a team can have a male and a female team entered for the 4x100m medley relay.

Can I nominate alternatives for my relay team?
You can nominate up to 4 alternatives when completing your swimming entries. However you must provide to the Meet Director the final relay list prior to the commencement of the session in which the relay event will take place.

How many swimmers can I enter per event?
There is no limit as to the number of swimmers a visiting team may enter per event. However the maximum number of entries permitted in individual sports is at the discretion of the Arafura Games organisers in the interest of enhancing the competition for member country participants.

How much will transport cost?
Arafura Games buses will provide all teams with airport transfers on arrival and departure. An official Games shuttle bus service will operate free of charge between accommodation houses and training and competition venues for all accredited participants. Identification tags must be worn at all times when accessing free transport.

What about hire cars?
Whilst there is transport (in the form of buses) provided, teams may wish to hire cars or coaster buses to avoid delays after finish of the sessions. Special discounts are available for Arafura Games participants through our sponsor Thrifty Car Rental by quoting rate code LARAF. You can check the services provided by visiting www.thrifty.com.au

Are we able to book lanes for training prior to competition?
Teams can book training times by contacting the assistant Sport Coorindator Tracey Netherway by email pt.netherways@bigpond.com. Casuarina Pool will be the only dedicated venue for training. The pool will be available on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday before the competition commences between 07:00am and 07:00pm.

How much will it cost?
There is no registration fee to participate in the Arafura Games. However, you are responsible for costs associated with air travel, accommodation and daily living expenses. Arafura Games organisers provide transport to and from the airport to your place of accommodation, and to and from playing venues and accommodation. Arafura Games accreditation also provides free access to transportation using the Darwin Public Bus service.