2014 USMS Speedo 3000-Yard and 6000-Yard ePostal National Championships

---

Registration Schedule

---

---

Because of an error in the October issue of STREAMLINES that stated that the deadline for swimming the Speedo USMS 3000/6000-Yard ePostal National Championship, was Nov. 25, the Long Distance Committee has extended the deadline for completing these swim to Nov. 25 so that no swimmers are accidentally left out due to this misinformation. However, all swimmers who complete their swims after Nov. 15 must use their age as it was on Nov. 15.--no aging up during this grace period. The final deadline to submit documentation of the swim remains Nov. 25. Time is running out, so get swimming!

Remember:
You MUST be a currently registered member of USMS or a FINA member National governing body on or before the day of your swim!  

Swim First~~~Then enter/register for the 3000-Yard or 6000-Yard ePostal National Championship. Have your completed split sheet handy to enter your splits at the prompt.

New Announcement ~~ Online entries only

With the success of the online entry platform and keeping in step with the evolving electronic age, the USMS Postal National Championships will now be known as the USMS ePostal National Championships and will no longer be offering or accepting paper entries.
We encourage any participant who does not have easy access to a computer to reach out to his or her event counter/timer, coaches, team mates, family or friends to assist with processing your online ePostal entry.


Hosted by Central Oregon Masters Aquatics
Sanctioned by Oregon LMSC for USMS, Inc. #374-S006

Date: The 3000-Yard ePostal and/or the 6000-Yard ePostal must be swum in its entirety on or between September 15 and November 15, 2014

Deadlines:

All online individual entry submissions must be completed by 11:59PM HT on November 25, 2014 (See Records below).

Completed split sheets for individual National Record breakers must be received by the event director by November 25, 2014.

All online relay entry submissions must be completed by 11:59PM HT on December 5, 2014.

Objective: To swim 3000 yards or meters and/or 6000 yards or meters in its entirety in any 25-yard or 25-meter pool you choose. Event results are sent in electronically so you can compare yourself to other swimmers doing the same event. Some people do the 3000-yard ePostal and/or the 6000-yard ePostal event for competition, while others do it for fitness; all who wish to participate are welcome. The recorded time you submit determines the order of finish. If two or more swimmers report the same time, a tie will be declared.

Location: Swimmers shall swim the 3000-yard ePostal and/or the 6000-yard ePostal in any 25-yard pool or 25-meter pool. For events swum in 25-meter pools, swimmers must swim 3000 meters or 6000 meters. Please submit your splits and final times in the course that you swam your event. Final 25-meter times will be converted automatically by the online entry system by dividing the final times for completing 3000 meters or 6000 meters by 1.0936 and integrating them with 25-yard times.

Eligibility: This is a USMS-sanctioned event and all participants must be registered for 2014 with USMS (or the equivalent FINA organization for foreign swimmers) on or before the day of their swim. Foreign swimmers are not eligible for USMS records or All-American status. Online entries for USMS swimmers will be verified automatically. All foreign swimmers who enter online must submit an electronic copy or mail a copy of their equivalent organization 2014 registration card to the event director by November 25, 2014.

Individual Events: Men and women compete separately in age groups of five-year increments: 18-24, 25-29, 30-34,…100+. The swimmer’s age on the day he or she actually completes his or her swim will determine his or her age group. Swimmers who change age groups during the event may enter twice, but must swim the event twice, once in each age group.

Fees: $10 for each individual entry ($15 for foreign swimmers) and $16 for each relay entry ($20 for foreign swimmers). Fees are non-refundable. Online entries must be paid by credit card (Visa or MasterCard) to "ClubAssistant.com Events".

Rules: The 2014 USMS Rules govern these events, including USMS Rule 102.12.1 regarding swimwear. Drafting, flotation, and propulsive devices (pull buoys, fins, paddles, snorkels, wet suits, etc.) are not permitted. No more than two swimmers may share a lane. If a lane is shared, each swimmer must stay on his or her side of the lane during the entire race (i.e. no circle swimming). An adult acting as a starter/head timer/referee shall be present at all times during the swim. Each swimmer must have a verifier to count laps and record cumulative splits every 50 yards or 50 meters. The timing of the event may be done with a stopwatch or electronic timing device. One person may serve as a counter for no more than two swimmers per heat. A 3000 yard split in the 6000 yard ePostal event may be submitted for a record if requested in writing and at least two dedicated handheld watches are used to record the record split. It will not be accepted as an entry for the 3000 yard ePostal event; the events must be swum separately. No adjustment may be made for swims completed at altitude.

Unsporting Conduct: Any act of fraud, deception, or dishonesty in connection with this event or knowingly providing false information including name, date of birth, age or gender in this event entry form may result in disciplinary action by USMS pursuant to USMS Rule 402.3, 402.4.3, and 402.4.4

Records: If you break a national age group record, the record will be updated on the USMS Long Distance National Records webpage for 2014 and will be printed in the 2016 USMS Rule Book.

Splits: Cumulative split times must be recorded to the nearest second (final times for national records to the nearest 100th) on the official event split sheet available at www.usms.org/longdist/1hr_3000_6000_splits.pdf .  Any split or final time submitted without tenths or hundredths will be defaulted to .99 second. Any split or final time submitted with tenths (.x) will be defaulted to .x9 second. Do not enter .00 if you have no tenths or hundredths of a second as a documented split. This split sheet must be kept for each swimmer.

Online Entries: When submitting your results online, you will be asked to enter only 300 yard or meter splits for the 3000-yard ePostal and only 600 yard or meter splits for the 6000-yard ePostal. Please submit your splits and final times in the course that you swam your event. Final 25-meter times will be converted automatically by the online entry system by dividing the final times for completing 3000 meters or 6000 meters by 1.0936 and integrating them with 25-yard times. Individuals entering online WILL NOT be required to submit a completed split sheet UNLESS that entrant has broken an individual national record. However, split sheets must remain available upon request of the event director; if it is not provided upon request, the individual entry and applicable relays may be disqualified. Please retain a copy of your completed split sheet for one year after the entry deadline.

Completed split sheets for individual National Record breakers must be received by the event director by November 25, 2014. Scan and email to: CoachBob@bendbroadband.com or mail to 2014 3000/6000 ePostal National Championships, COMA, 61200 Parrell Road, Bend, OR  97702

Please note that your online registration is not complete until you have received an automated confirmation of your entry via email. If you do not receive an entry confirmation email, please contact the event director.

Any entries received by mail will not be accepted and will be returned to sender.

Awards: The top 10 finishers in each age group in the individual event and the top 3 relay teams in each relay age group will receive USMS Long Distance National Championship medals. First place finishers in each individual and relay age group will also receive a USMS Long Distance National Championship patch. Only one patch per event per participant will be awarded.

T-Shirts: The 2014 USMS 3000- & 6000- Yard ePostal National Championships T-shirt is available for $16 ($20 for foreign swimmers).

Results: Complete results will be available via the internet. Preliminary results will be posted on the USMS website at www.usms.org by December 7, 2014, for two weeks. All corrections must be sent to the event director during those two weeks. Final results will be posted approximately one week later.

Relay Events: Relay events will be contested in three categories: 3 men, 3 women, or 4 mixed (2 men, 2 women). Each relay member MUST also enter the individual event and be registered with the same USMS Club. Unattached swimmers are not permitted on relays. Participants shall be allowed to swim in only one same-gender and one mixed-gender relay in each ePostal event. The youngest relay member’s age shall determine the relay’s age group. Age groups are 18+, 25+, 35+,…95+. The cumulative time for the individual swims will be the relay time.

Club Event: Each Club will be entered automatically in the Club event. Club point scoring will be calculated based on Quality Points, which are ratios of each individual time to the corresponding USMS record for the gender & age group. The faster the swim the more Quality Points a swimmer earns. Club totals will be the sum of the Quality Points of its swimmers. Since every swimmer will receive Quality Points, every swimmer counts!

Online Relay Entries: Online relay entries will open on November 28, 2014. All online individual entries will be displayed by USMS Club and will include the entrant's time for the Club Relay Coordinator/Builder's reference. You will only be able to view a listing of YOUR USMS Club's entries. Online relay entries must be completed by 11:59PM HT on Thursday, December 5, 2014.

Questions: Contact event director: Bob Bruce  CoachBob@bendbroadband.com  541.317.4851

Note: If paying by credit card, your credit card statement will reflect a charge from "US Masters Swimming."