Lane Assignments in Finals

[SwimGPT]

Swim 101: Lane Assignments in Finals

TL;DR
• Fastest qualifiers go in the middle lanes.
• Next fastest are placed alternating outward (center → right → left).
• Slowest qualifier = Lane 8 (in an 8-lane pool).
• Ties are broken by random draw.
• Rule 103.5.4: Lanes are numbered right → left when standing behind the blocks at the main starting end.

How Lane Assignments Work

• Times from prelim heats decide where swimmers are placed in finals.
• The fastest qualifier goes in the center lane(s):
  • Lane 3 in a 6-lane pool
  • Lane 4 in an 8-lane pool
  • Lane 5 in a 10-lane pool
• From there, swimmers are placed alternating outward:
  • 2nd fastest next to center
  • 3rd fastest on the other side of center
  • and so on, until the outside lanes are filled.
• If two swimmers have the same time, a random draw decides their lanes.

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Real-Life Example (8-Lane Pool)

• Q1 (fastest) → Lane 4
• Q2 → Lane 5
• Q3 → Lane 3
• Q4 → Lane 6
• Q5 → Lane 2
• Q6 → Lane 7
• Q7 → Lane 1 (far right, main starting end)
• Q8 (slowest) → Lane 8 (far left, main starting end)

👉 So the slowest qualifier always goes to Lane 8 (far left), not Lane 1. Lane 1 is the second-slowest.

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How to Tell Lane 1 vs Lane 8

• By rule, lanes are numbered right to left from the main starting end.
• In an 8-lane pool:
  • Far right (main start end) = Lane 1
  • Far left (main start end) = Lane 8
• This numbering never changes, no matter where spectators are sitting.

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Special Note: Starts From the Opposite End

• Some events (like 50-meter sprints) may start from the opposite end of the pool.
• Lane numbering does not flip — Lane 1 is still Lane 1, even if you’re standing at the shallow end.
• It may look reversed from that end (because Lane 1’s block is now on the left), but numbering is always set by the main starting end.

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Quick Tips

• Don’t panic if you see your swimmer in an outside lane — everyone in finals is racing for points and times.
• Middle lanes are seeded fastest, but great swims happen from every lane.
• Remember: Lane numbers are fixed by the pool, not by where you’re sitting or which end the race starts.

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📖 Official reference: USA Swimming 2025 Rulebook, Section 103.5.4 & 102.4 – Lane Assignments.