Administrative vs. Classical vs. Performance Swim Conversions — What’s the Difference?

[SwimGPT]

🏊 Swim Standards Conversion Modes Explained

(Performance vs Administrative vs Classical)

When you see FINA Points, converted times, or course comparisons on Swim Standards, you might notice an option called “Conversion Model” — Performance (Swimulator), Classical (Stanback / Colorado), or Administrative (NCAA).

At first glance, they all seem to do the same thing: translate a time from Short Course Yards (SCY) to Long Course Meters (LCM) or Short Course Meters (SCM).
But under the hood, they use very different assumptions — one is data-driven, one is legacy-based, and one is rule-of-thumb.

Understanding these models helps you interpret scores, rankings, and FINA calculations accurately — especially when a swimmer’s best time comes from an SCY meet.

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⚙️ Performance (Swimulator-Style)

The Performance model is grounded in regression analysis from thousands of real swims.
It estimates conversions using linear formulas of the form:

LCM Time = a + b × SCY Time

Each event, stroke, and gender has unique coefficients (a, b) that capture how swimmers’ pacing and turns differ between pool types.
This model reflects how athletes actually perform, not how rulebooks approximate.

Best for:

• FINA (World Aquatics) point scoring
• IMX / Power Points comparisons
• Swimulator-style analytics and projections

The Performance (Swimulator-style) model on Swim Standards is based on real regression data from thousands of swims — following the same statistical principles described by Alec Vercruysse (2019)* and other empirical studies of SCY↔LCM conversions.

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🧮 Classical (Stanback / Colorado)

The Classical model is the long-standing public conversion method created and maintained by Brian Stanback for Colorado Swimming and widely shared across club websites and tools.

It uses simple ratio-based equations and turn-correction terms (e.g., ± S per turn) — a balanced middle ground between fixed NCAA multipliers and full regression formulas.

These conversions have been part of swimming culture for decades and remain useful for quick estimates and legacy comparisons.

Example: 100 Free (LCM) ≈ SCY Time × 1.11 + 1.0 sec

Best for:

• Historical comparisons
• Club meet conversions
• Estimating older performance tables

(Classical model included with courtesy of Brian Stanback.)

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🏫 Administrative (NCAA)

The Administrative (or NCAA) model applies fixed conversion factors used for collegiate meet seeding and qualifying standards.
It’s straightforward and consistent but ignores swimmer-specific or stroke-specific dynamics.

Example: 100-yard freestyle × 0.875 → estimated 100-meter (LCM)

Best for:

• Meet entry and eligibility checks
• Administrative seeding and cutoff lists

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✅ In Summary

Model	Based On	Best For	Example
Performance (Swimulator)	Regression from real swims	Rankings, analytics, FINA points	100FR = 0.6 + 1.107×time
Classical (Stanback / Colorado)	Turn-based empirical ratios	Historical / club use	100FR × 1.11 + 1.0
Administrative (NCAA)	Fixed conversion factors	Meet entry & eligibility	100FR × 0.875

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🧠 Why Swim Standards Defaults to Performance Mode

Whenever a swim time is entered in SCY, Swim Standards automatically converts it to LCM using the Performance model before calculating FINA (World Aquatics) Points.
This ensures results align with modern, data-driven performance analytics.

You can still toggle between Performance, Classical, and NCAA models in the FINA Points Calculator or Conversion Tool to see how each one compares.

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📎 Learn More

1. Performance Model (Regression-Based)

• A Regression-Based Model for Predicting Swimming Time Conversions Between Pool Lengths – Alec Vercruysse (2019, Menlo School)
• FINA (World Aquatics) Points Explained

2. Classical Model (Stanback / Colorado)

• Brian Stanback / Colorado Swimming Conversion Class (GitHub)

3. Administrative Model (NCAA)

• Official NCAA Swimming & Diving Qualifying Standards (2025–26)