A heat is a single race consisting of a group of swimmers in a meet. Large competitions often have many athletes signed up for the same distance and stroke. Officials divide these swimmers into smaller groups based on their previous best entry times. Each group competes in one heat to determine who moves to the final round. A young swimmer waits behind the blocks for heat number four to begin. The number of heats depends on the total number of athletes and pool lanes. Heats allow the meet to run smoothly while giving everyone a chance to compete. Winning a heat provides a great confidence boost even in a large field.
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