Hy-Tek meet files explained for meet secretaries

A Hy-Tek gala moves through three files. The host sends a meet event file (.ev3, often zipped with an older .hyv) describing the meet and its events. Each club sends back an entry file (a zip containing .hy3 and .cl2 files) listing its swimmers and entry times. After the meet, the host publishes results, which clubs import to update times. Knowing which file is which, and what to check in each, saves most of the errors that surface on gala day.

Hy-Tek's Meet Manager is used to run many UK galas, so most meet secretaries meet these files whether or not their club uses Hy-Tek software itself.

The meet event file: .ev3 and .hyv

The host club sets up the meet in Meet Manager and exports the events for visiting teams. Meet Manager exports this as a zipped file containing both the older .hyv format and the newer .ev3 format. (Hy-Tek)

The file holds the meet name, course, the events and their entry qualification times. The .ev3 format carries more, such as the date from which entry times count and the meet and session entry limits. (Hy-Tek)

What to check when it arrives:

• The course (short course 25m or long course 50m) matches the meet pack.

• The age-up date and entry eligibility date match the meet pack.

• Qualifying times and any upper limits are as published.

• Maximum entries per swimmer and per session.

The entry file: .hy3 and .cl2

When a club exports its entries, Hy-Tek's Team Manager produces a zipped file containing two entry files, a .cl2 and a .hy3. Hy-Tek's meet products import the .hy3, which carries more information, such as longer swimmer names. (Hy-Tek) The host imports the file and your swimmers appear in their meet.

What to check before you send it:

• Every swimmer's membership number is correct. It is how times are matched to the right person.

• Entry times show the right course, short or long, and are not accidentally converted.

• No swimmer is entered in an event they are not eligible for by age.

• Withdrawals made since you last exported have gone. If you send a revised file, the host may replace your whole entry with it, so send the complete set.

• Entry fees agree with the meet pack's surcharges.

The results

After the meet, the host publishes results. Clubs import the results file to update each swimmer's times and personal bests, rather than typing them in from a PDF. Short course and long course times are kept separately.

Where SportSystems fits

Not every UK meet runs on Hy-Tek. Many county and regional meets use SportSystems software, which uses its own file formats for entries. A meet pack will say which system the host uses and how entries should be sent.

How Olympus Swim helps

In Olympus Swim the meet secretary sets up the gala with its events, qualifying times, entry window and squads. Age-group eligibility is a hard gate, so parents only see events their swimmer can enter. When entries close, Olympus Swim produces a Hy-Tek compatible entry file for the host. After the meet, importing the results updates personal bests automatically, with short and long course kept separate. SportSystems meet entries are in development and not yet live. Read about gala entries and the gala entry checklist.

Common questions

What is an .ev3 file? A Hy-Tek meet event file. The host club exports it from Meet Manager so visiting clubs can import the meet's events, course and qualifying times. It is often zipped together with an older .hyv file.

What is a .hy3 file? A Hy-Tek entry file. Clubs export their entries as a zip containing .hy3 and .cl2 files, and the host imports the .hy3 into Meet Manager.

Why did our entries not match up at the meet? The usual causes are incorrect membership numbers, entry times in the wrong course, or a revised entry file that replaced an earlier one without all the swimmers.

Do all UK galas use Hy-Tek? No. Many county and regional meets use SportSystems. The meet pack says which system the host uses.

Written by Joel Knight, swimming coach and founder of Olympus Swim (about).

Checked 19 October 2026