Junior & Junior Elite

SCROLL DOWN FOR INFORMATION ON 2010 JUNIOR ELITE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFICATION

The "junior" age division is comprised of athletes between the ages of 16 and 19, with racing age determined on December 31st of the competition year. Athletes age 15 and under race in the "youth" division.

• USAT Athlete Development Race & Camp Pipeline
• Athlete Profiler
• Junior PerformanceTesting and Benchmarks
• USAT Junior Development Camps
• Junior Recommended Distance Chart

Junior athletes have the opportunity to compete in two distinct styles of racing refered to as drafting or “elite” and  non-draft  or “age-group” formats and compete in regional, national, and or world championships in each format.  Rules, event qualification, and equipment is unique to each style and athletes are encouraged to review all information on the USAT Website.

Non-Draft or Age-Group Racing Most juniors participate in the traditional, non-drafting triathlon format. USAT has designated a number of non-drafting Junior Development Races around the country to serve as age-appropriate, entry-level triathlons. Beginning in 2007, USAT supports a Junior Sprint World Championship team. Qualification is required. 2010 AG16-19 Sprint Distance World Championship Qualification Criteria 2010 Budapest, Hungary September 8-12, 2010 http://www.triathlon.org/

Draft Legal or “Elite” Racing
Junior Elite Racing Common Q&A

Such designation means that the athletes may ride in packs or “draft” on the bike. These races mimic the ITU World Cup and Olympic format of racing.
Beginning in 2010, there are varied classifications of draft-legal events.

• Youth F1.Ages 12-16. Entry Level Draft Legal event. SuperSprint Distance
• Junior Elite. Ages 16-19. Sprint Distance
• Elite Development Race. Ages 16-23. Olympic Distance

It is very important to note that ITU draft-legal rules do apply and it is HIGHLY recommended that you familiarize yourself with these. Please review the Junior Q&A document above.

2010 USAT JUNIOR ELITE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFICATION
Field limits are 80 athletes per division.  Beginning in 2010, athletes 16-19 years old (Junior Elites) must satisfy the eligibility standards before registering for the event.  Click here to review these criteria.

If you did not compete in previous Jr. Elite National Championships or are not a member of a USAT designated High Performance Team. Regional opportunities include: Attending the USAT National Skills Camp Or Contact your Regional Athlete Development Coordinator (RADC) Shelly Campbell.