The Senior Handicap 9th May, 2007

The Senior Handicap is one of the tightest competitions of the summer season. As with the Graded Point Score, the competition is held every week of the summer season so swimming consistently is important. However strategy can also play a part in the competition.

The Senior Handicap is held for swimmers aged 17 years and over and is the competition with the greatest potential for confusion among both rookie competitors and officials.

The Handicap is the only competition held where the swimmers start the race at different times. Swimmers are seeded in races based on their entry time but are given a time handicap (which is based on their entry time). The slowest swimmer starts on ‘Go’ and the other swimmers start as their handicap numbers are called. Points are awarded based on placings in each heat, with 8 points for 1st place in a heat down to 1 point for 8th place.

The staggered start leads to very close finishes with all the swimmers in a heat often separated by less than a second, really testing the Finish Judges and Recorders.

As with the Graded Point Score, seed times are calculated based on the swimmers best time from their last three handicap races. So if a competitor swims faster than their seed time, the next week they will have a faster seed time and therefore a higher handicap. But there is a catch, if a swimmer beats their seed time by more than two seconds, they are disqualified and receive no points for the race. They also have to swim against that time the next week.

If a competitor swims slower than their seed time three weeks in a row, then the following week their seed time will be slower and they will have a lower handicap. These weekly changes to the seed times, and as a result the swimmer's handicaps, mean that from one week to the next, swimmers may move around within their heat or even from one heat to another.

With all of these variables, strategy can play a part in the competition. Do you go for the win in your heat and possibly risk disqualification or are you happy to settle for second or third this week? But whether you have a strategy or not, you still need to swim well each week. If you are looking for some tips, Glenda Wood is the person to ask. Just don't expect too much help, after all, she is still competing for the trophy herself each week.

Did you know?
  • In the last 26 seasons, only 14 different swimmers have won the competition as many of them have won it on multiple occasions.


  • 6 swimmers have won the competition more than once. Glenda Wood, Amanda Smart, Margaret Edwards, Jim Hayes, Peter Johnston and Glen Stanford.


  • Glenda Wood has won the competition the most times, winning it on 6 occasions.


  • Peter Johnston has the longest winning streak, winning the competition 5 years in a row from 1999/2000 to 2003/04.


  • There has been 3 seasons where there was a tie for first place in the competition. In 1981/82 Glenda Wood and B. Taylor shared the trophy. 10 years later in 1991/92 the trophy was jointly awarded again, this time to Jim Hayes and Laurie Hamilton. In 1995/96, Amanda Smart and Michelle Hayes finished equal first.


  • The highest handicap this season was 28 seconds. Malcolm Bleeker had to swim off this time on 3 occasions.


  • The current Handicap Trophy was first awarded in 1980/81 and was donated by the J. Taylor Family.


Past Winners
1980/81 G. Pedley
1981/82 Glenda Wood, B. Taylor
1982/83 Glenda Wood
1983/84 Glenda Wood
1984/85 Amanda Smart
1985/86 Margaret Edwards
1986/87 Lyn Daly
1987/88 L. Stephan
1988/89 Graham Edwards
1989/90 Jim Hayes
1990/91 Jim Hayes
1991/92 Laurie Hamilton, Jim Hayes
1992/93 Amanda Smart
1993/94 Margaret Edwards
1994/95 Glenda Wood
1995/96 Amanda Smart, Michelle Hayes
1996/97 Michael Sutherland
1997/98 Glenda Wood
1998/99 Glenda Wood
1999/2000 Peter Johnston
2000/01 Peter Johnston
2001/02 Peter Johnston
2002/03 Peter Johnston
2003/04 Peter Johnston
2004/05 Glen Stanford
2005/06 Glen Stanford


See Also
  • Senior Handicap

  • Race By-Laws
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