USA Triathlon has selected the events that will comprise the 2015 USA Triathlon Junior Elite Series, providing athletes the opportunity to qualify for the 2015 USA Triathlon Youth Elite and Junior Elite National Championships.
The USA Triathlon Junior Elite Series serves as a talent identification and development pathway for the organization’s High Performance program. Athletes and teams participating in the series prepare specifically for draft-legal racing. Participation is open to athletes ages 13-19 who will compete in the youth elite (13-15) or junior elite (16-19) divisions.
At each event, a maximum of the top 17 junior elites and top 19 youth elites will automatically earn a spot to compete in their respective division at the 2015 USA Triathlon Youth Elite & Junior Elite National Championships, set for 1 August in West Chester, Ohio.
Roll-down qualification may also apply. Series races have a field limit of 75 male and 75 female athletes per division and most races reach full capacity. A waitlist is maintained to fill openings after the event sells out.
In addition to the Junior Elite Series, US athletes competing in the invitational Sarasota CAMTRI North American Junior Championships on 14 March in Sarasota, Florida, may also earn automatic qualification for the USA Triathlon Junior Elite National Championships for finishing among the top seven of all US competitors. Fifty junior athletes, 25 per gender, will represent the US at the Sarasota race.
The 2015 USA Triathlon Youth & Junior National Championships will take place at Voice of America Park in West Chester, Ohio, on 1-2 August. The event features youth age-group competitions and clinics for athletes aged 7-15 in the non-drafting format, and draft-legal competitions at the super-sprint and sprint distance for the Youth Elite and Junior Elite divisions.
Registration is now open at usatriathlon.org/usatyjr15 for the youth age-group races, which require no qualification and showcased a sold-out field in 2014.
2015 USA Triathlon Junior Elite Series
USA Triathlon Richmond Youth Elite & Junior Elite Cup (3 May, Richmond, Virginia)
USA Triathlon Pleasant Prairie Youth Elite & Junior Elite Cup (7 June, Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin)
USA Triathlon Monroe Youth Elite & Junior Elite Cup (20 June, Monroe, Washington)
USA Triathlon Flatland Youth Elite & Junior Elite Cup (12 July, West Des Moines, Iowa)
USA Triathlon Youth Elite & Junior Elite National Championships (1 August, West Chester, Ohio)
2015 USA Triathlon Junior Elite Special Qualifier
Sarasota CAMTRI North American Junior Championships (14 March, Sarasota, Fla.)
