GSF Athlete Selection Criteria: Base Time Proximity Standard

On August 12, 2022, the GSF unanimously adopted the BASE TIME PROXIMITY STANDARD to calculate the times and ranking of athletes to be selected for attendance at international off-island competitions which have a limited quota of participants, such as the World Aquatics Championships. Based upon a mathematical formula and sometimes called the “Highest Ratio” formula or the “Percentage of Time Standard,” variations of the criteria are used by World Aquatics and major swim federations as a way of establishing a uniform way to compare times and to rank athletes across different individual events. Regardless of which variation of the formula is used, the result is that a fair comparison can be made between differing athlete times and events.

The Base Time Proximity Standard compares an athlete’s time in an individual event to the “B” time standard (ie, the “Base Time”) for that same event as established by a competition’s meet organizers. The formula divides the athlete’s time by the Base Time, and the quotient is converted to a percentage. Athletes are ranked in order of their percentages, with the highest ranking athlete being the one whose swim time is closest to the Base Time (or “1.000”).

The Base Time Proximity Standard does not apply to the Olympic Games or to competitions which do not have a quota. For such competitions, athletes must meet the minimum qualifying entry times that have been established for the particular competition, together with any other qualifying criteria.

For the Olympic Games, the qualification and selection criteria shall be that as established by World Aquatics. If no athlete achieves the qualifying time, then at the sole and exclusive discretion of World Aquatics and GNOC, and subject to any other applicable criteria, the male and/or female athlete who has achieved the highest World Aquatics Points Table score in an individual 50M Olympic qualifying event during the relevant qualifying period may be invited to the Games.

2023 Pacific Games is a FINA qualifying event for 2024 Doha World Champs & Paris 2024 Olympic Games

The Pacific Games Council has announced that the 2023 Solomon Island games scheduled for November 19 to December 2, 2023, will be recognized by FINA as a qualification event for the 2024 World Championships in Doha, Qatar. The Games will also be recognized as a qualifier for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.

Additionally, athlete eligibility for the Solomon Islands will utilize FINA regulations.

Doha, Qatar to host 21st World Championships (50M) in February 2024

In what should be the last of the Covid reshuffling, FINA has rescheduled the 21st World Championships that was originally scheduled to take pace in Doha, Qatar in July 2023 to February 2 to 18, 2024. The change was necessitated because the 2022 championship event scheduled for Fukuoka, Japan was pushed back to July 2023. Instead of Fukuoka, the 2022 event was moved to Budapest, Hungary.

2023 Pacific Games Qualifying Time Standards

The XVII Pacific Games (Solomons 2023) will be held in Honiara, Solomon Islands from November 19 to December 2, 2023.

The qualifying time period is January 1, 2022 to August 31, 2023. All qualifying times must be earned at a GSF or GNOC-sanctioned event.

Download qualifying times

Athletes who equal or better the QT in one or more 50-meter individual events* are preliminarily qualified for consideration to participate in the Pacific Games, provided that all other qualification requirements are met. This includes (but is not limited to), the athlete’s rank & times, technical skill, age, maturity, fitness, residency, citizenship, ethics, and behavior.

No one has the right or entitlement to participate in the competition. At all times, and regardless of any athlete or official’s application for nomination to the Pacific Games, the final selection of athletes and officials to the team including event entries is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Guam National Olympic Committee and/or the relevant organizing committee.

All athletes entered in individual events can be used in relays, even if they have not achieved the QT for the corresponding stroke and distance of the relay in which they are entered.


*If no 50-meter times are available, 25-meter times may be submitted to GSF for conversion and possible consideration.

**Qualifying time standards for the Pacific Games, the Micronesian Games, and other GNOC-sanctioned events are guided by the 1991 order of the GNOC Executive Board that qualification to participate shall be minimally based on the times of the third (3rd) place finishers in the finals for each event as achieved during the last edition of the relevant Games (2019 Samoa). With approval, the GSF may allow for minimum times achieved by the last place finisher in the finals for each event, which is typically the 6th or 8th place depending on the competition.

Short Course Championship Meet CANCELLED

"coach" clip artThe Department of Parks and Recreation has notified us that the Hagatna Pool is closed until further notice and will remain closed over the weekend due to a chlorine problem.  For this reason, we regret to inform you that the Short Course Championship Meet scheduled for this weekend (12/2/2017) is cancelled.  We will provide updates through this website and through your coaches as we learn more about the status of the pool.  Si Yu’os Ma’ase.

Rick Powers to Offer Swimming, Coaching, and Officiating Clinics

FINA Rep and coach,  Rick Powers

Rick Powers, an experienced swimming coach who has coached the national teams of six countries and who has given clinics in dozens of other countries, will be conducting a weeks worth of clinics here on Guam from February 12 – 16, 2014.

Rick will be conducting clinics for members of GSF teams at the Hagatna Pool from Feb.12-14, from 4:00pm – 6:00pm.  All GSF swimmers are welcome, and the cost will be $5.00.

Rick will be conducting classroom training for coaches and officials on the 15th and 16th (venue TBA).