Junior Elite and Youth Elite Nationals Registration is Open!

Registration for the National Junior Olympic Festival is now open!

On August 14, 2010 in San Diego, California, the best Youth Elite and Junior Elite racers will compete for the title of National Champion.

This is the first year that Junior Elites wishing to race must meet qualification standards. PLEASE read eligibility criteria below before trying to register.

There are no qualifications standards for Youth Elite racers 13-15

Junior Elite registration can be found here.

Youth Elite registration can be found here.
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ELIGIBILITY CRITERA FOR USA TRIATHLON JUNIOR ELITE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Purpose:

This document establishes eligibility criteria for participation in the 2010
USAT Junior Elite National Championships.

Background:

The USAT Junior Elite National Championships is a draft-legal triathlon
consisting of a 750m swim, 20k bike, and 5k run. Consistent with international standards
for draft-legal racing, the male and female divisions are limited to 80 athletes each.
Eligibility requirements are necessary to ensure a quality of field consistent with the
event’s national championship status and an appropriate level of preparedness for
participation in draft-legal competition of this caliber.

Age Requirement:

In order to compete in the USAT Junior Elite National Championship,
an athlete must be between the ages of 16 and 19 year old on December 31st, 2010.
Performance Criteria: An athlete who meets the Age Requirement plus any one of the
following Performance Criteria is eligible to compete in the 2010 Junior Elite National
Championships:

• 2009 USAT Youth Elite and Junior Elite National Championships finisher;

• 2009 or 2010 USAT Youth Elite or Junior Elite Cup (national-level) orPATCO Pan American Junior Championship or Junior Continental Cup or other international-level draft-legal triathlon finisher; or,
  

• 2009 or 2010 Youth Elite or Junior Elite National Ranking ranked athlete(does not include USAT Age Group Ranking, which is based solely on non-drafting results). http://usatriathlon.org/pages/1963
  

Endorsement Criteria:

An athlete who meets the Age Requirement, but has not met one of the Performance Criteria, may achieve eligibility through endorsement as follows:

• High Performance Team: Athletes listed on the official roster of a USAT-designated High Performance Team (HPT) as of June 1st, 2010, may receive the written endorsement of their HPT Manager;
  

• Regional Athlete Development Coordinator (RADC): Athletes who complete a Junior Elite Clinic under the direction of an RADC may receive the written endorsement of the RADC;
  

• USAT Skills and Select Camp Director: Athletes having participated in a 2009 or 2010 USAT-designated Skills or Select Camp may receive the written endorsement of the Camp Director; or,
  

• USAT Sport Performance Endorsement: Athletes lacking access to the endorsement options set forth above may receive the written endorsement of the USAT Sport Performance Director.
  

Endorsement Standard:

In order to secure an endorsement, the Athlete must have demonstrated to the Endorser:

1. Awareness of the race format, including the distances, laps, swim conditions, transition, and draft-legal elements;
2. Knowledge of the competitive rules for draft-legal triathlon, including bike set-up, uniform requirements, and transitions;
3. Competency in the skills required for safe participation in draft-legal triathlon, including swim starts, bike handling, transitions, and race nutrition; and,
4. Ability to finish within 20% of the prior year’s winner’s overall time (2009: Male Winner - 58:12; Female Winner - 1:05:30)
   

Junior Elite Clinic: ( USAT Florida region time and date TBD)

RADCs may offer Junior Elite Clinics to provide opportunities for athletes to secure eligibility. The base price shall be $50 per athlete and the clinic will take approximately 4 hours to complete.

First-Come, First-Served:

Achieving eligibility to compete does not guarantee entry into the championship. Due to field limits, registration is first-come, first-served.

Audit and Confirmation:

USA Triathlon will audit eligibility shortly after the athlete
registers online. Addition to the Start List will serve as confirmation of eligibility and
entry. USAT advises that athletes and families book refundable travel if there is any
doubt as to their eligibility. Athletes are responsible for establishing their eligibility prior
to registering for the event. USA Triathlon has a no refund policy for event registration.