Following on from the success of the 2012 and 2013 Australian Swimming Championships in Adelaide, the SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre has once again been chosen as the host venue for the 2016 Australian Swimming Championships which will double as a selection event for the Rio Olympic Games.
The SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre, which will also host the Australian Age Championships in 2016 and the Australian Short Course Championships in 2017, is a world class facility that has proven itself capable of hosting major national events and attracting a large crowd.
In 2015 the swimming calendar will kick off with the Open Water Championships in Perth from February 13 to 15 and then in April, Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre will take over to host both the Australian Open and the Australian Age Championships as well as the Short Course Championships in November.
With Queensland a home base for a number of current Australian Swim team members, Brisbane will host the 2016 Australian Short Course Championships as well as both the Australian Open and Age Championships in 2017.
This is the first time Swimming Australia has secured venues for three consecutive years and with the host states locked in, Swimming Australia will now be able to provide information to clubs, states, coaches and athletes to forward plan their competition schedule.
Swimming Australia Chief Executive Officer Mark Anderson said that taking a longer term plan and appointing venues for the next three years would benefit the sport in a number of ways.
“Our approach is to implement longer term plans across all areas of our organisation to ensure we are aligned in our pursuit of success. This is important for our Australian Swim Team and all areas of Swimming Australia.
With venues for the next three years now secured, we will have significantly more time to work with our partners to ensure that our events grow and develop. This approach will also benefit our swimmers and swimming community.
We are pleased with the level of interest in hosting our important events and we look forward to sharing the sport of swimming in a number of locations around Australia over the coming three years,” Anderson said.
The Australian Age Championships, which attracted over 1,700 entrants in 2014 will continue to be scheduled during the school holidays in 2015, 2016 and 2017, allowing more school-aged swimmers to enter and supporters to attend, which will no doubt have a fantastic effect on the growth and of the sport and development of the junior swimmers.
With the Australian Swim Team returning from the Commonwealth Games today, with a record medal haul, this forward planning is a part of the next steps on the journey to becoming the best in the world.
For a complete run down of the event dates and host venues, please refer to the table below:
| Year/Event | Competition Dates | Host |
| 2015 | ||
| Open Water Championships | 13-15 February | Perth |
| Australian Age Championships | 13-20 April | Sydney |
| Australian Championships | 3-10 April | Sydney |
| Australian Short Course Championships | 5-7 November | Sydney |
| 2016 | ||
| Open Water Championships | 12-14 February | TBC |
| Australian Age Championships | 28 Mar – 4 April | Adelaide |
| Australian Championships | 8-15 April | Adelaide |
| Australian Short Course Championships | 1-5 November | Brisbane |
| 2017 | ||
| Open Water Championships | 10-12 Feb | Adelaide |
| Australian Age Championships | 10-17 April | Brisbane |
| Australian Championships | 25-31 March | Brisbane |
| Australian Short Course Championships | 15-17 November | Adelaide |
- 2017 dates will be noted as tentative until July 2015. Given it is over 3 years away, we should allow for contingency in case a change is required. For example School Holiday dates are not available yet for this year so when they are announced this may impact dates.
- 2016 Open Water Championships has not been awarded yet based on the lack of information we have on the Olympic Venue in Rio. This venue will be explored and decided on when more information comes to hand.
