In many countries across the world, including Australia, there are restrictions that apply to the swimsuits that junior/entry level swimmers are allowed to wear in competition swimming. In essence entry level swimmers are not allowed to wear technical/performance suits. Who the rules apply to varies slightly from State to State.
Victoria
- Rules apply to all swimmers 11 years old and under.
Western Australia
- Females Aged 12 years old and under
- Males Aged 13 years old and under
NSW and most other states and territories in Australia
- Rules apply to all swimmers 12 years old and under.
Unfortunately understanding whether a suit is regarded as a technical/performance suit is not as clear as you might hope.
Rules in Australia - does the green tick apply?
Some suits (especially in junior sizes or entry-level racing suits) sport a small green checkmark logo next to the FINA/World Aquatics approval logo. This green tick is not from World Aquatics itself, but rather a mark developed by certain national federations (notably USA Swimming) to denote suits that are approved for 12-and-under age group competition.
Even if your local competition meet doesn’t explicitly require the green tick to be visible on your swimsuit, if your swimsuit includes the Green Tick on it, it still serves as a handy visual cue that “this suit is okay for junior competitions.”
If your child's swimsuit does not include a green tick
Even without a green tick, it may still be legal to wear your swimsuit in entry-level competitions within Australia. The green tick is really only an indicator for competitions within the USA, however not all swimsuit manufacturers operate out of the USA or have any obligation to include the green tick on their swimsuits. You'll need to refer to your state or local meet's local swimsuit policy but
Generally speaking FINA approved swimwear can be worn permitted it is not classed as a technical/performance suit.
Determining whether a swimsuit is classed as a technical/performance suit can be difficult to determine. Each suit is different and the decision comes down to the level of performance enhancement that the suit provides. This is usually based on the coverage level of the swimsuit, the level of compression that the suit provides and whether or not the suit uses bonded/sealed seams, meshed seams or kinetic tape. Swimsuits that provide a performance enhancement are not allowed in junior swimming.
To differentiate between what is and isn't allowed, Swimming Australia have provided the following examples.
The following examples are taken from swimsuits that are permitted to be worn within Junior competitions:
Whereas the following examples are take from swimsuits that are NOT permitted (because they contain bonded/sealed seams):
Most states across Australia follow similar rules to each other - though Western Australia's policy applies to older age groups. More detailed information can be found within the following policy's:
Victoria
11 & Under Technical/Performance suit policy
https://vic.swimming.org.au/news-articles/find-out-more-about-our-11-under-swimsuit-policy-update
New South Wales
https://nsw.swimming.org.au/news-articles/guidance-use-performance-suits-younger-swimmers
Western Australia (please note the age group differences)
If a suit has no FINA logo at all
It’s usually a regular practice suit (legal for kids by default, since it’s not a “tech” suit).
If in doubt
Please feel free to contact us at racereadyswim.com.au and we can help answer this question for you.
