Elite Series Competition

This season, the State New Zealand Ocean Swim Series, New Zealand’s largest and most recognised open water swimming event, has an impressive new Elite Series Competition. With a total cash prize purse of NZD$46,000,  the State New Zealand Ocean Swim Series has become the richest open water swimming event in Australasia. Both the male and female Series winners will each take home NZ$20,000 with 2nd and 3rd place-getters receiving  NZD$2,000 and NZD$1,000 respectively.

This series new prize purse will put New Zealand on the World open water swimming stage and bring some great swimming talents to our very own doorstep.

Elite Series Competition – Cash and Prizes

Individual events:
Elite swimmers are awarded valuable points at each of the individual events that will contribute toward their Elite Series Competition points total (see further down this page for an explanation of the points system). Medals will be awarded to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Male and Female place-getters of each of the six individual events. Cash prizes will no longer be  awarded at individual events.

Series Cash and Merit Prizes:
1st place (male & female): NZD$20,000 each, series trophy and a series award
2nd place (male & female): NZD$2,000 each and a series award
3rd place (male & female): NZD$1,000 each and a series award

Elite Series Competition entry qualifications and process:

• To qualify for the series elite competition prize purse, you must enter and complete three or more ‘I’m Going Long’ swims from a possible six events
• Race 6 (King of the Bays) is a double points race. To win or place in the Series you should seriously consider swimming this event.
• These can be entered individually or as a 3 / 4 / 5 or 6 series pass through this Elite Series Competition page only
• You must enter as an ‘elite’ to qualify for the elite series prize purse
• IMPORTANT: Elite entries are now separated from all other normal event entries. Elites can only enter by clicking the Elite Entry and completing the entry process.
• Race packs can be couriered (NZ only) to elite swimmers in the week before the event / season or collected from event registration – from the ELITE & LATE REGISTRATION table only.

Conditions of entry:

• Entries can be transferred from one event to another up to one week prior to each event and only within the season. The cost to do this is $15 per transfer.
• All elite division entries are confidential and not accessible to other competitors
• Free entries will be considered for any swimmers that have placed in the top 3 across any of the following freestyle event distances at   at their most recent Open National Championship Events; 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5km or 10km. Please contact us if you are eligible.
• Elites will swim in an elite division wave, starting one minute prior to the rest of the ‘I’m Going Long’ swimming field.
• The elite wave will be filmed and monitored at each event by an elite marshal. Any un-sportsmanlike behaviour or cheating will result in an instant disqualification
• All race rules are listed here
• Entry confirmation constitutes a swimmers acceptance of the race rules covering the Elite Series Competition, and all swimmers agree to abide by the Event Directors decisions
• Competitors entered in the elite division, won’t be eligible for age group medals or the age group competition
• Participation in the Elite Series Competition at any event in the State NZ Ocean Swim Series events is at the discretion of the Event Director who reserve the right to reject or withdraw any swimmer

Elite Series Competition points tally formula:

• Only elites who have registered and swum in a minimum of three (from six) ‘I’m Going Long’ events in the elite division will qualify for the series purse
• IMPORTANT: First-placed elite division male and female at each individual event will receive 100 points with the exception of the final event in the series, the State King of the Bays, which is worth double points (i.e. points an elite swimmer would have received at another 2012-13 State New Zealand Ocean Swim Series event will on this occasion be doubled )
• 2nd place, 3rd place and all following elite swimmers will be awarded points as a percentage of the winner’s times
• Each elite’s BEST THREE INDIVIDUAL POINTS will be totaled at the end of the series to determine the series winners and 2nd and 3rd place-getters
• In the case of two or more elites having equal maximum points at the end of the series, the winner will be decided as follows:
• The winner will be determined by measuring the time difference between the winner and 2nd place across their top three events. The elite with the largest total margin will be the winner
• In the unlikely event that the margin between the tied winners and 2nd place in each of their top three events is exactly the same, the margin between the winners and 3rd place will be measured in each of their three top events and the elite with the biggest total margin will be the winner
• Note: as the State King of the Bays event is worth double points for elites, any margins in time in this event, that are measured in the case of a possible tie, will also be doubled
• For the avoidance of doubt – times will be measured to the tenths of a second
• The more swims you enter and complete, the more chances you have of accumulating higher points
• Series champions will be announced at the Series Prize Giving following the State King of the Bays Prize Giving in Takapuna, North Shore, Auckland on 6 April 2013.