Swimming / Topic 13
Heats, lanes and qualification
World Aquatics · 2026In short
How swimmers are seeded · Ties for the final place
How swimmers are seeded
Entry times determine the initial ranking and allocation to heats. Faster swimmers are generally placed towards the centre lanes under the prescribed seeding pattern. Later rounds use the relevant earlier-round results. Swimmers must report to the call room at the time set by the organiser.
Ties for the final place
A tie for a qualifying place does not always produce the same solution. A swim-off may be used for events of 200 metres or less. In longer events, the rules can allow tied swimmers into spare lanes in a 10-lane final; the number tied and available lanes determine whether a swim-off may instead be needed.
Independent explanations and translations, not official federation publications. Independent explanations of the supplied World Aquatics Competition Regulations, February 2026. This guide covers pool swimming only, not other aquatic disciplines. References use PDF viewer page numbers; topic numbers are editorial.
Sources & approach ↗
Sources & approach ↗