Swim England National Championship age group categories do not promote equality between boys/girls and men/women. 

They allow girls from age 12 at end of year and boys from age 13 at end of year to enter. So girls as young as 11 can compete but not boys.

Then older girls have to compete in 17yrs and over category, so girls as young as 16 are competing with women to gain entry.  While  boys have a separate age 17yrs age group category and then swim in 18yrs and over. 

Girls born in 2005 for example missed out on swimming in the 15yrs and 16yrs age groups in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid. Then came back to try and compete against women in 2022 after limited or no training. 

In 2022 there were approx 135 boys born in 2005 that qualified because they had their own age group that year (age17) in comparison only approx 48 girls qualified because they did not have their own age group. Then in the open categories only  approx 16 girls born in 2004 and approx 6 boys in 2004 qualified.*(numbers shown were manually counted when entry list was available in jul/Aug22, it may not be the final accurate number but it illustrates the point)

So the age categories do not promote equality and they do not promote 16/17/18 year old girls or 17/18 year old boys to stay in the sport. 

Swim England has a large membership and should therefore have championships that reflect British swimming age categories with 17 and 18 yr old age groups for both boys and girls. And open category should be 19 plus. This will promote equality plus it will promote teenagers continuing in a sport they love instead of dropping out. We need to lead the way for equality and promoting accessibility to national sports competition for all teenagers. 

SWIM ENGLAND MUST ADDRESS THIS FOR THE 2023 CHAMPIONSHIPS TO STOP INEQUALITY