Qualification time frames have been released for the 2017 British Summer Championships. The meet is slated to take place July 25th – 30th at Ponds Forge in Sheffield, the site which just hosted the BUCS short course championships.
The annual Summer Championships confirmed that the age groupings will remain as male/female athletes aged 13/14 years, 15 years, 16 years, 17/18 years and 19 years and over, based on age as of December 31, 2017.
Athletes will have the window of March 10th – May 29th 2017 in which to qualify for the competition, with a maximum of 24 top-ranked swimmers in each age group being invited to the championship event. For those falling outside of the top 24, the swimmers will still have the opportunity to participate in home nation championships within England, Scotland and Wales.
The British Summer Championships were originally slated to be held at Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow, however, the facility will now be closed for maintenance. As reported last month, Tollcross is set to undergo a £6million ($7.4m) worth of improvements beginning early 2017 to help prepare for the hosting 2018 European Championships. Roof replacement, new mechanical and electrical equipment as well as internal fabric and structural repairs are reportedly included in the 2017 construction endeavor. More efficient systems will also be installed, helping extend the life of the property.
