Found this chart and was surprised at what they qualify as an elite swimmer. Congratulations to my neighbor Dan Empfield, you are an elite!!!
https://swimminglevel.com/…-times/1000-yd-times
Where do you fall??
Certainly nowhere near “elite” on this chart, though I am by far the fastest in the pool I swim at regularly I am a long way away from an 11min and change 1000!!!
I certainly wouldn’t say anything under a 13min 1000 is a low bar. SO basically 10yrs old to 50yrs old lol
I’ll have to hang on to somewhere in my 70s I guess
Interesting.
Been doing Tri’s for 30 years and apparently I have gone from Intermediate to Elite by swimming the same time.
In another few years I will be Olympic?
Nice!
But it’s essentially grappling with the bell curve right? The further out you get on the tail ends the top performer being better than 98% of athletes is still getting smashed by the top performer who is better than 99% of athletes who is getting smashed by the top performer who is better than 99.9% of athletes.
Crazy low standards
I’m in between Advanced and elite
And I don’t even flip turn lol
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Yeah I’m still a somewhat newer swimmer & I’m “advanced” but I don’t feel too advanced when I’m at the local college pool getting walked by D1 swimmers. It is good for perspective. I’ve made some good progress even if I feel eons away from the top tier.
Wow. Apparently, I pretty much suck. Shows me as a beginner based on my swim time for a sprint back in April. I find that interesting considering I finished the swim more or less in the middle of the pack. But I wonder if it’s just a difference between an open water swim and a pool swim.
It comes down to their definition of “elite” being the top 5%. Seems like a soft standard (see below), but heck I’ll take my participation medal.
IME a decent member of a high school swim team is easily in the top 1% (same for XC on the running side).
A US Olympian is the top 0.00001%
I made advanced swimmer! Looks like they probably chose from a pool of everybody, not just serious swimmers, as there is no universe in the tri or swim world where I’d realistically be considered an advanced swimmer!
Shows me as a beginner based on my swim time for a sprint back in April.//
Its based on a pool swim only, OW swims are way too variable…DO a 1k in the pool and then compare…
As a 55 year old I could come close to 13:33 “elite†time.
Crazy low standards//
I don’t think so, keep in mind the huge group they are comparing. If you are in the elite, like the top couple %, and that seems reasonable to me. It does seem to get a bit easier as you age, but I suppose the caveat there is you must keep swimming each decade. Even a long time swimmer would have a hard time making those 60+ standards if they do not swim, memory may get you a good 50…
Like Hatch said, just dont slow down too much each decade, and you will eventually be an elite!!!
I made advanced swimmer! Looks like they probably chose from a pool of everybody, not just serious swimmers, as there is no universe in the tri or swim world where I’d realistically be considered an advanced swimmer!//
You can see in the chart definitions who they included in the comparisons. They start with folks that have just begun to swim laps for only 1 month…So not the whole world, but a world of people that can actually swim a 1000 after a month, so lots and lots of people I would imagine…
I know for me I have made the standard for elite in every age group except 10 year olds, didnt start swimming until I was 15…And I was no where near the top of the heap of swimmers I swam with, until I hit 65. I was ok, better OW, but at 65 I got 3rd in the nation in the 1000 for my AG. So keep swimming, keep living, and eventually you will conquer!!!
Elite! Although those times are very generous.
Elite! Although those times are very generous.//
I think it just seems that way as they had to use times to capture the last 5%. I think big difference in just making that category, and crushing it to the top 1%…But all in all I bet for triathletes, a pretty good accounting of where they stand overall after the swim in the AG’s, dont you think?? I mean are you usually out top 5% in swims in your AG??
Elite! Although those times are very generous.//
I think it just seems that way as they had to use times to capture the last 5%. I think big difference in just making that category, and crushing it to the top 1%…But all in all I bet for triathletes, a pretty good accounting of where they stand overall after the swim in the AG’s, dont you think?? I mean are you usually out top 5% in swims in your AG??
yeah normally top 3.
Interesting. I need to start swimming more regularly again, maybe I’m more capable than I thought.
This gives me an advanced score.
My training PB for a 1k long course in a speedo is 12:26. I felt pretty chuffed about that at the time but need to keep making honest work for myself to make the elite card on this chart in early mid 30s. I could get closer to 12:05 in scm possibly.
What this chart does well is show how big the gap is between Advanced and Elite.
One of my swimming friends is a former national level OW swimmer from Europe and she said that while many people can get down in long course pool from 1:30 per 100 to low 1:20s, it takes a lot longer and a lot more work to get down to 1:15s and beyond, which is what this chart indicates for anyone below the age of 40 is the bench mark for elite.
Advanced at 45. I did not swim competitively, but in my observation I am advanced compared to most swimmers my age. Not like hard-core masters folks, but the spectrum of people swimming for exercise.
Hard to imagine making the jump to advanced. I think my technique is good enough, but putting in the necessary yards would be tough. I can do a 70.3 swim in the mid to low 30s and am lucky to get 3 swims a week for 8k. I bet a good structured build up to 10-12k weeks would be huge, but finding the time is tricky.
As a 64 yo female I can still crack 13. But there are masters swimmers/former olympians like Jennie Thompson that would crush those standards.