The next major US international team to be selected is the Junior World Championship team, but if you plan on earning a spot on the team, you may need to consider skipping the US Junior National Championships. The selection procedures for the US Junior World Championships team only lists the US National Championships meet in San Antonio from August 6th to the 10th as a qualifying event.
We’ve talked to several junior swimmers that have expressed concerns of the financial burden of needing to swim at both junior nationals and senior nationals to make the team. There are a number of swimmers that have a good chance of making the team in their one or two elite events, but beyond that they are only at a Jr national level in their other events. To have the best shot at making for the Junior National team, which is the top six in the country versus the two that will be selected for the Jr World Championship team, they will need to swim a full meet.
On the other end of the spectrum, however, it makes sense as to why USA Swimming only wants swimmers to qualify at the senior national championship meet. USA Swimming is trying to put together the best team possible, and they want the swimmers that can compete at the national and international level. Many of the kids that will make the Jr World’s team will most likely run away from the rest of the field at junior nationals, and therefore USAS wants to see them pushed by better swimmers at Nationals.
Making the 2015-2016 Junior National team isn’t as strict, however. USA Swimming is selecting the fastest six times in each event to represent team USA. The qualification period is Jan 1st to Aug 10th, and they are accepting any swim from a USA Swimming or FINA sanctioned meet. Below is a quick summary of USA Swimming’s selection procedures for the 2015 Jr World Championships. You can find their official selection procedures by clicking here below:
2015 US World Junior Selection Procedure
USA Swimming’s Conditions For Making The Jr World Championship Team:
- Condition #1
- The only qualifying competition for the US Jr World Championship Team is the US National Championships in San Antonio, TX from Aug 6th-10th.
- Condition #2
- Only junior swimmers that finish in the top six in Olympic events and top 8 in the 100 and 200 freestyle at the US National Championships are eligible to make the team. If any priority 1 or 2 swimmers voluntarily withdraw, the next fastest swimmer available will be added to the team, as long as they are ranked top 6 in the Olympic events and/or top 8 in the 100 and 200 freestyle.
- Condition #3
- There can be up to 26 swimmers on both the men’s team and the women’s team. Even though the maximum is 26 swimmers per team, USA Swimming is not obligated to fill all 26 spots.
Selection Criteria for 2015 US Jr World Championship Team:
- Priority #1
- The top four swimmers in the 100 and 200 freestyle, and the top swimmer in every Olympic event.
- Priority #2
- The second fastest swimmer in every Olympic event other than 100 and 200 freestyle.
Why don’t we go back to holding WC Trials in June/July(and use it as Jr. WC Trials as well), and then also have Jr and Sr Nationals late July/August
This is dumb.
You want to be on the National Junior Team? Win your event at Juniors. Same as at OTs. It would make that meet super exciting.
Want to skip Juniors and go to Seniors? Great… good luck trying to make the Senior team. I have no problem with this route and there are a small group who SHPULD skip Juniors and throw in with the big boys.
But a Junior Team Selection should come from a Junior National Meet. Make it about racing…
Or we could just select the team 11 months in advance and see what happens. Seems to be working well for the Pan-Am games squad.
Is it allowed that someone (say Becca Mann or a member of the pan American team) can go to junior worlds as well?
Swimmer – in the past I seem to recall that there were restrictions, that to be on Jr. Worlds team, you were to not have been on a higher-ranked senior team ever, but I see no such restriction in this year’s criteria. I will try to verify that information.
I can’t speak for USA Swimming, but the rules of the competiton for Junior _Pan Pacs_ are that you cannot have been to Worlds, Olympics, Senior Pan Pacs etc. but for Junior Worlds there are no such restrictions. There are frequently swimmers who will do double duty – especially if they are only swimming a relay or one event at the senior worlds.
Again those are rules from the Pan Pac organization and FINA for their meets, USA swimming may have their own regulations in place.
There’s an easy fix here: go back to how Junior Nationals were before…18+under swimmers who do not have Senior National cuts.
That might be a reasonable idea. But it would keep up and coming swimmers from racing with the best in their age groups.
Makes no sense as why it should not be a requirement to finish 1-2 at Junior Nationals, period. That is the 18&U Championships. As structured at Senior Nationals the two 18&Us that make the team might finish 5th and 9th, not even in the same heat of finals much less winning. Basically took the racing right out of the equation.
Ever think about whether there are people who can’t afford to go to Nationals who could make the team from times they swum at a sectional meet for example?
…Seriously…..
The winter juniors A standard. These kids making the winter junior cut won’t slow down the meet and it will ultimately make it a much easier decision if they can reasonably make more cuts.
I know we all have to make choices in life, but I feel there is a far easier way to make this work for everyone involved.
Even if they do make the team from juniors, won’t going to Junior Worlds be an opportunity to see them at the national and international stage as well? How do you account for those kids who hits a great taper, at Juniors, that knock it out of the park and swims faster then everyone at Nationals. No chance for… Read more »
But I prefer my first point of view. 🙂