A key element of the Australia’s High Performance strategy is to identify our high-potential athletes and ensure they receive the right support at the right time on their pathway to the senior team and onto the podium.
The Athlete Categorisation Guidelines have been developed in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Sport and Swimming Australia, with the aim:
- Identify the athletes with the greatest potential to medal at a Senior Benchmark Competitions
- Inform the prioritisation of investment and support across the system to these athletes.
To inform the swimming specific nominations to the Athlete Categories, Swimming Australia (SA) has developed the SA Athlete Categorisation Nomination Guidelines 2025-2028. SA will review its categorisation nominations in September/October each year, after the annual international benchmark events for each program.
SA will use the outcome of the categorisation process to:
- Nominate athletes to the AIS’s Athlete Categories;
- Inform SA recommendations made to the National Institute Network (NIN) regarding the provision of support and scholarships as required, noting that not all Institutes utilise the Athlete Categories system;
- Prioritise:
- SA’s recommendations around the allocation of Commonwealth Government support through the dAIS scheme (direct athlete support) which is administered by the AIS; and
- Swimming Australia Camps and Competition Investment for athletes and coaches.
- Prioritise:
The hierarchy of Athlete Categories will be used to inform (but may not determine) the prioritisation of the SA, AIS and NIN high performance resources. It is important to note that the provision of services from the AIS and NIN is subject to available resources and vary in each state or territory. Being a categorised athlete does not automatically entitle an athlete to receive support from the AIS and/or NIN, and athletes within the same category may not receive the same level of support across Australia.
Categorisation Nomination Guidelines 2025 – 2028:
The SA Athlete Categorisation Nomination Guidelines 2025 – 28 apply to Olympic Pool, Olympic Open Water, Paralympic and Pathways Swimmers who compete in an event on the Olympic or Paralympic Games program.
To be prioritised for support an athlete must demonstrate potential for future success. Past results alone are not the sole consideration.
The first requirement for a swimmer to be included in the Athlete Categories is achievement of the performance standards as outlined in the Guidelines. When these athletes meet the required performance standards, they will be proposed for inclusion when the annual review of nominations occurs.
For 2025, performances at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, 2025 World Para Swimming Championships, 2025 World Aquatics Junior Championships, 2025 Australia A Tour to the TYR Pro Series race in California and the 2025 World University Games as well as their Selection Trials and Qualification Events will will be considered for Categorisation.
