- Chippenham ASC

BAGCAT's stand for British Age Group Categories and work in a similar way to how a pentathlon or decathlon works in athletics.

They exist for girls aged 9 to 13 years old and boys aged 9 to 14 years old and are intended to develop ability across a range of events - rather than specialising at too young an age. Swimmers compete in various events at the County Championships and depending on their age and finishing time they receive points for each event.

Taking an example of a 9 year old the categories at the County Championships would be: Sprint - Best 50m time goes towards score. Form - Best 200m time from either Backstroke, Fly or Breaststroke goes towards score. Distance - Best time from 200m Free goes towards score. IM - Best time from either 100m or 200m Individual Medley goes towards score.

The Meet’s Computer will recognise the best points score from each category and add them together. The swimmer with the highest points tally at the end of the Championships wins the Meet’s BAGCATS Award.

Categories vary depending on age and the relating Championships - See BAGCAT Category Table for a full breakdown.

For example when a 12yr old girl competes at the County Championships there are 5 categories. In addition to the 4 categories mentioned above for 9yr olds, the best 100m time will also contribute to her score. At Regional and National Championships there are 4 categories (the 50m sprint is dropped).