In the previous article about the Hong Kong Swimming Competition, I shared the Hong Kong Swimming Competition - A Complete Guide to the Long and Short Pools for Young Children and Youth in 2025. Today, we finally come to the most important part of the children's swimming competition, which is the only credible swimming competition in the local area - Competition of the Hong Kong Swimming Association of China.
Today, I will explain the Hong Kong Swimming Competition - China Hong Kong Swimming Association from the basics to the complexities: a complete guide to D1/D2/D3 events, classification rules, promotion mechanism and in-depth analysis of the competition system.
2025 SEEDINO New Project - Hong Kong Children's Swimming Enlightenment Cradle
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Introduction to the Swimming Association
The Hong Kong Swimming Association (HKGSA) was founded in 1950 and was originally named the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association. It has witnessed the development of swimming in Hong Kong from the colonial period to the SAR era. After its official name change in 2018, its functions have been expanded to coordinate five major aquatic events: swimming, diving, water polo, rhythmic swimming and open water swimming. It is now a certified member of the International Swimming Federation (FINA) and the Asian Swimming Federation (AASF), responsible for formulating local competition standards and selecting the Hong Kong team.
I believe many swimming parents must have heard of D1, D2, and D3, which are often mentioned in the swimming world. What are they actually?
D1, D2, and D3 can refer to the group competitions within the Swimming Association that are conducted based on individuals/swimming clubs, with different age groups and different qualifying times. They can also refer to the group competitions held by the Secondary Schools Association that are conducted based on schools, with the total group scores used to distinguish the school swimming teams.
As for the Aquatics Federation Championships ( Champ), I will share with you in the next article.
Today, let’s talk about the former
Swimming total D1, D2 and D3 have long course and short course competitions respectively. The long course competition is held from April to October each year; the short course competition is held from November to March of the following year.
Each Division will be divided into three parts to hold competitions of various swimming styles and distances, and the D3 long-pool competition will be held in two parts to divert the participants.
Age groups
D2 & D3: 8 years old or younger, 9-10 years old , 11-12 years old , 13-14 years old , 15-17 years old.
D1: 10 years old or below , 11-12 years old , 13-14 years old , 15-17 years old , 18 years of age or older.
Extended reading: Siobhan Ho's most comprehensive data sharing: Full personal time record from 2007 to 2024
project
D3 Long Pool: Up to three events can be selected per round, and two events can be selected per round in Short Pool:
|
Project/Age |
8 years old or below |
9-10 |
11-12 |
13-14 |
15-17 |
|
50m Freestyle |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
50m backstroke |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
50m breaststroke |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
50m butterfly |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
100m Freestyle |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
100m backstroke |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
100m breaststroke |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
100m butterfly |
❌ |
Long Pond |
Long Pond |
Long Pond |
Long Pond |
|
100m Combined |
Short Course |
Short Course |
Short Course |
Short Course |
Short Course |
|
200m Combined |
❌ |
Long Pond |
Long Pond |
Long Pond |
Long Pond |
D2 Each session can select up to two items:
|
Project/Age |
8 years old or below |
9-10 |
11-12 |
13-14 |
15-17 |
|
50m Freestyle |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
50m backstroke |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
50m breaststroke |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
50m butterfly |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
100m Freestyle |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
100m backstroke |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
100m breaststroke |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
100m butterfly |
Short Course |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
100m Combined |
Short Course |
Short Course |
Short Course |
Short Course |
Short Course |
|
200m Freestyle |
❌ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
Long Pond |
Long Pond |
|
200m Backpack |
❌ |
❌ |
✔️ |
Long Pond |
Long Pond |
|
200m breaststroke |
❌ |
❌ |
✔️ |
Long Pond |
Long Pond |
|
200m Combined |
❌ |
Long Pond |
Long Pond |
Long Pond |
Long Pond |
D1 Each game can choose up to four individual events:
Swimmers aged 11 and 12 who achieve 70 points or above in the 2024-2025 Hong Kong Long Course or Short Course Swimming Score Table in the 400m freestyle may participate in the 800m freestyle event.
|
Project/Age |
10 years old or below |
11-12 |
13-14 |
15-17 |
18 years or older |
|
50m Freestyle |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
50m backstroke |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
50m breaststroke |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
50m butterfly |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
100m Freestyle |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
100m backstroke |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
100m breaststroke |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
100m butterfly |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
100m Combined |
Short Course |
Short Course |
Short Course |
Short Course |
Short Course |
|
200m Freestyle |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
200m backstroke |
❌ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
200m breaststroke |
❌ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
200m butterfly |
❌ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
200m Combined |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
400m Freestyle |
❌ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
400m Combined |
❌ |
❌ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
800m Freestyle |
❌ |
24-25 NEW |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
1500m Freestyle |
❌ |
❌ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
|
4x100 Freestyle Relay |
✔️ |
||||
|
4x100 Mixed Relay |
✔️ |
||||
|
4x200 Freestyle Relay |
✔️ |
||||
Time to reach the target
The qualifying time is adjusted every year, and swimmers must meet the standard time to participate in the competition.
If an athlete qualifies for a higher age group at a younger age, he or she will still need to participate in that level of competition after being promoted. The competition period is valid for two years
For example: If an 8-year-old reaches the D2/D1 standard time for a certain event for 9-10-year-olds, he or she needs to directly participate in the D2/D1 event of that event after being promoted to the next level at the age of 9.
Swimmers who have reached the standard time may not participate in lower group competitions, otherwise they will be subject to age group suspension regulations.
If a swimmer's time meets the age group standard, but registers for a lower group with a slower time (calculated within two years of meeting the higher group standard time for the event), the swimmer and his/her club will be subject to the age group suspension regulations.
Age-group Tournament Suspension Rules
1. The first violation of the relevant affiliate:
The offending swimmer will be suspended once in the next competition of the same category, and the affiliated club must pay a fine of $1,000 for each violation. If the affiliated club fails to pay all fines before the next competition registration, it will automatically be suspended in the next competition of the same category.
2. The relevant affiliate violates the rules twice or more:
The relevant affiliated club will be suspended in the next competition of the same category (calculated separately for long course and short course); or the matter may be handled according to the decision of the Swimming Association. Violations are settled within a financial year (from April 1 to March 31) .
cost
The fee for each item is HK$15.
Projects registered based on qualification time (“QT”) are all charged HK$15 + HK$40, i.e. HK$55.
A fine of HK$50 will be imposed for each non-compliance item. .
The fine for "absence" is HK$30 per item. Waivers must be submitted thirty minutes before the start of each quarter.
Any appeal must be made in writing and submitted to the Chief Judge within thirty minutes after the announcement of the results of the event, together with an appeal fee of HK$300.
Further reading: Hong Kong Swimming Competition - Children and Youth Long and Short Course Guide 2025
China Hong Kong Swimming Association: History and Organizational Structure
The transition from amateur to professional
The Hong Kong Swimming Association (HKGSA) was founded in 1950 and was originally named the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association. It has witnessed the development of swimming in Hong Kong from the colonial period to the SAR era.
After its official name change in 2018, its functions have been expanded to coordinate five major aquatic events: swimming, diving, water polo, rhythmic swimming and open water swimming. It is now a certified member of the International Swimming Federation (FINA) and the Asian Swimming Federation (AASF), responsible for formulating local competition standards and selecting the Hong Kong team.
Analysis of the three-level management system
-
Strategic level : The board of directors sets policy directions, and the current president, Wang Minchao, leads the international affairs integration
-
Executive level : Competition Committee, Technical Referee Group, Athlete Development Department and other professional departments
-
Grassroots network : Swimming club registration system and school league system in all 18 districts of Hong Kong
Hong Kong swimming competition classification system: Decoding the core rules of D1/D2/D3
Classification Competition Design Concept
The "pyramid-shaped competitive structure" is adopted, through the three-level system of D3 (basic level), D2 (advanced level), and D1 (elite level) to achieve:
-
Talent screening : annual points determine promotion and relegation
-
Age transition : U12 to open age group competition
-
Project expertise : Freestyle/Breaststroke/Butterflystroke/Backstroke/Mixed
D3 Group: Newbie Starter Program
Eligibility : First-time registered athletes or annual points below 200 points
Competition Features :
-
Starting action specifications (such as allowing diving platform assistance)
-
Adopting the "Performance Improvement Reward Points System"
D2 Group: Enhanced Competitive Ability
Promotion threshold : Top 30% of D3 annual total points or reaching Level 2 of the "Hong Kong Swimming Ability Standard"
Technical Specifications :
-
Strictly implement FINA turning rules
-
Enable automatic timing system
-
Introducing the "Mixed Relay Points Multiplication Factor"
D1 Elite Group: Professional Training System
Access mechanism :
-
Those who have reached the D1 time requirement
-
Achieve 90% of Hong Kong Youth Record
-
International competition results certification (such as Asian age group competition)
-
Compulsory participation in long-distance events over 200 meters
-
Implementing the "Annual Minimum Number of Participations" system
-
Adopting international standard anti-doping testing procedures
Annual key event calendar and points rules
Three core event series
| Event Name | level | Integration coefficient | Selection function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong Age Group Swimming Championships | D1/D2 | 1.5x | Asian Games/World Championships Selection |
| Inter-school swimming league | D2/D3 | 1.2x | Academic Team Qualifications |
| Rookie Challenge | D3 | 1.0x | Annual promotion and relegation based on |
Integral calculation formula
Total points = Σ (event level coefficient × ranking points) + record-breaking bonus points
-
Ranking table:
-
1st place: 50 points
-
2nd place: 40 points
-
3rd place: 35 points
-
4th-8th place: 30 points
-
-
Record-breaking Bonus:
-
Hong Kong record: +100 points
-
Age record: +50 points
-
Technical rules and penalty standards
Localization adjustments to FINA rules (if any)
-
Starting rules : D3 group is allowed one false jump without disqualification (D1 group will be disqualified immediately)
-
Turn determination : D2 and above groups use underwater photography review
-
Swimsuit regulations : D1 group is required to use FINA certified racing swimsuits
Analysis of common reasons for disqualification
-
Breaststroke violation: swimming underwater for more than 15 meters after starting
-
Freestyle foul: Failure to complete the turn before touching the wall
-
Relay error: Athlete's feet leave the platform too early when handing over the baton
-
Lane violation: crossing the lane to interfere with other players
Athlete promotion channels and career development
Three-level talent training system
-
Basic level (D3): District team training plan
-
Advanced level (D2): Hong Kong Youth Swimming Team Training
-
Elite level (D1): Sports Institute full-time athlete program
International competition promotion path
-
D1 annual points top 10: guaranteed admission to the Asian Age Group Swimming Championships
-
Breaking the Hong Kong record: Directly qualifying for the World Championships
-
Academic Star Program: D2 group inter-school MVP can receive overseas training funding
Digital transformation: online registration system and data analysis
HKGSA 4.0 Intelligent Platform
-
Athlete data tracking: Growth curve analysis from D3 to D1
-
VR simulation training system: track visualization preview
-
Electronic Judge Certification System: Instant Judgment Review Mechanism
Essential tools for contestants
-
MySwimHK APP: Instant personal points query
-
Virtual coaching system: customized training plans according to D level
-
Online Rules Quiz: Annual Eligibility Requirements
FAQs and expert advice
Q1: How to quickly advance from D3 to D2?
Expert advice :
-
Focus on breakthroughs in 50m freestyle and 100m breaststroke
-
Participate in at least 3 events with a points coefficient of 1.2x or higher
-
Seek a registered coach for technical diagnosis
Q2: What is the daily training volume of D1 athletes?
Data reference :
-
Weekly training hours: 18-25 hours
-
Land training ratio: 30%
-
Biomechanical analysis frequency: 2 times a week
Q3: What are the differences between international rules and local rules?
Important differences :
-
Hong Kong races retain results records in Imperial units
-
Non-FINA certified swimming caps are allowed in groups below D2
-
The academic league will use the 25-yard short-course score as the basis
Future development: Greater Bay Area integration and technology application
As sports cooperation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area deepens, HKGSA has launched:
-
Cross-domain points recognition : Shenzhen and Guangzhou event points are converted at a coefficient of 0.8
-
AI referee assistance system : introduced in 2024 test match
-
Virtual reality event : Metaverse Swimming League is in preparation
The Hong Kong Swimming Association of China has established a scientific talent training system through the D1/D2/D3 grading system. Whether you are a beginner or a professional player, you can find a development path in this framework. Athletes are advised to regularly check the official website for the latest rule revisions and make good use of digital tools to improve their competitive level.
Subsequent updates
This article will be regularly supplemented with the latest rule revisions and new event data to maintain the timeliness and authority of the content.
Today’s sharing ends here. If you have any questions or comments, please email me. See you next time, 88!
Benice Cheung