Swim Meets (4): Alternates & Scratching
There are two other terms you would need to know for a Prelims/Finals meet: Alternates and Scratching.
If your swimmer qualifies for the Finals, the meet announcer generally makes an announcement to call out the names of the swimmers who have qualified and the two "ALTERNATES". The meet organizers would also print out the event results and they will be posted on a designated wall within the venue.
Here is the important part: if for whatever reason your swimmer cannot compete in the finals, he/she MUST withdraw (commonly called "SCRATCH") from the finals within 30 minutes of the announcement. Please make sure your swimmer ALWAYS consult with their coach before deciding to scratch from the finals.
If you do not scratch and your swimmer does not show up in the finals, your swimmer will be suspended from the meet (i.e. unable to compete for any other events in the meet) and also be fined ($50 seems to be the most common penalty amount).
For a Finals format where the Top 16 swimmers qualify, the swimmers who finished 17th and 18th in the Prelims for each event will be the "alternates". They are kind of your back-up swimmers in case any of the finalists do not show up for their event during the Finals. If your swimmer is announced as an alternate and he/she wants to hold on to the small hope that he/she "might" swim in the finals, then yes, show up to the finals. But unlike the finalists, the alternates do NOT get penalized if they are unavailable to compete in the finals.
Let's say during the B-Final (Consolation Final) of an event, one of the finalist swimmers did not show up - then the meet announcer will call for the first alternate (17th) swimmer to come to the starting blocks. If the first alternate does not step forward, then the meet announcer will call for the second alternate (18th) swimmer. Swimmers announced as alternates should be ready to swim at a short notice when needed and they would usually sit near the deck, fully suited up with goggles and swim cap in hand. To be honest, from what I've seen thus far, the alternates actually swimming in the Finals does not happen that often. I've probably seen it happen maybe 3 times in the past 6 years.
Another thing to note about alternates: if you're at a Championship meet with A/B Finals (Championship & Consolation Finals), the alternates are only called during the B-Finals (Consolation Finals). If someone does not show up for an A-Final (Championship Final), then that lane will be left empty and the race will proceed without calling for an alternate. The only exception is if there is ONLY an A-Final (Championship Final) without a separate B-Final (Consolation Final) - in that case, an alternate can be utilized.
If multiple swimmers scratch (which does seem to happen more often on the final day of a Prelims/Finals meet), it is possible for your swimmer to rank up and join the finals (also called "scratched into" finals). For example:
a) Your swimmer finished 9th in the Prelims and was scheduled to be in the B-Finals. But a swimmer from the A-Finals scratched, so your swimmer will now be competing in the A-Finals.
b) Your swimmer was a first alternate (17th), but a swimmer from the Finals scratched. Now your swimmer will be in the B-Finals.
c) Your swimmer was 19th in the Prelims and was not even announced as one of the alternates. But 3 swimmers from the Finals scratched, so your swimmer is now 16th and will be swimming in the B-Finals.
Based on what I have seen thus far, there is a higher chance of swimmers scratching from the Finals on the final day of the meet (usually on Sundays) and especially if the meet venue is far away for most of the attendees. It's not unusual for many swimmers and parents to feel tired after multiple days of swimming and would just like to get back home, not to mention that the swimmers and parents respectively have school and work to worry about on the following day.
So if your swimmer finishes say 19th or 20th at a certain event on the final day of a Prelims/Finals meet where the Top 16 qualify for the Finals, there is actually a decent chance that your swimmer might be "scratched into" to the B-Finals. Now if you and your swimmer actually want that to happen, then you will hang around after the Prelims to find out what is the final seeding of that event. But if that is not your intent and both of you want to head back home as soon as possible on the final day of the swim meet, it might be safer to scratch from the event so you do not get inadvertently scratched into the finals (and be penalized for inadvertently not showing up!) You still need to have your swimmer consult with your coach before any decisions about scratches are made.
Just another thing to note - in the past, I've seen some swimmers who have qualified for the A-Finals scratch the event and it was not even the last day of the meet. It could be due to an injury or the swimmer has qualified for multiple Finals events and wanted to focus their energy on their pet-favourite event instead. I've also seen this happen when a swimmer has met their target Time Standard cut (most likely for a large Championship meet coming up in the near future) during the Prelims and they do not feel the need to drop their time even further during the Finals (e.g. the swimmer was just 0.5 seconds away from qualifying for a State Championship meet for the following week and obtained that time during the Prelims. The swimmer may scratch from the Finals and leave after the Prelims to prepare for the State Championship).
Until next time, keep on cheering for your swimmers! 🏊🏊🏊
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