Who are juniors? How old is this category? This will be discussed in this article.
In the world practice of competitions, athletes are divided into age categories. This is done so that the competitions are more transparent, and the participants themselves are inspired by an honest fight with peers to achieve high results. After the youthful (school) age, where active athletes are clearly visible, who have seriously decided to continue training in the chosen sport, there is the next age class - juniors.
Junior age
According to the established rules in the International Federation of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the age of the junior category is limited to 19 years and younger, but not older. A competitor is considered a junior if his age is under twenty years old on the date of December 31 of the year of the competition. In other sports in the junior category, the age may be less or even reach 22 years. It depends on the speed of the athlete's pick of the peak of the sports uniform. In some sports, it is typed faster, in others more slowly, so the division into young men and juniors in different federations is set differently.
Athletics in the junior category
For a more detailed understanding and presentation of results in age categories, we will analyze world-class competitions among juniors in athletics. These are spectacular competitions where there are still no strong aspirations for monetary rewards. All young participants have a competitive gaming spirit of friendship. At this age, there is already a residual weighing - to continue to seriously pursue sports further on a professional level, moving into the adult category, or to leave good memories and stay at the level of maintaining physical fitness. Almost every junior thinks about this. Sport, especially an adult, is not easy.
Those who eventually decide to continue to improve their achievements, if there is not enough standard for professional competitions among seniors, you can speak in amateur competitions, various games and even become famous at the veterans' starts.
Athletics competitions among juniors are held on various continents around the world. They began with children's or student youth games. Then they went into separate competitions and were recognized as official federations. The junior championship is considered the most outstanding competition, but at this age some athletes already compete in adult world competitions and even at the Olympic Games.
The first junior starts in different countries
The first world championships in athletics in the category of "juniors" (age - not older than 19 years) was held under the auspices of the IAAF in Athens (Greece) in 1986. The intensity of the event is once every two years. In 2016, we held these outstanding, spectacular competitions among young people and in our country, in the city of Kazan (Russia). Many young men and women have already entered the Olympic teams of their countries and represent them at numerous international starts in their types of athletics programs.
In Europe, these competitions began to be held a little earlier than the world championship. In Warsaw (Poland) in 1964, the first, but still not considered official, athletics games in the junior class (age up to 20 years) were held. Then the European Federation took patronage over these starts. And already in 1970 in Colombo (France), the games received official status from the federation with a biennial period.
Rules for
The time is not accidental. Almost always they took place in the second half of July. Since the main participants in the competition were either already existing students who had to pass the sessions and exams, or young people who were still preparing to enter universities. They should have had time to prepare and relax until the new school year.
Stages of development
European starts over time underwent various adjustments. For example, until 1989 there were various parameters for the junior category. The age of young people should not exceed 20 years, and girls were taken until 19 years. From 2000 to 2005, with the instructions of the IAAF Federation, they reduced the weight of the core for pushers, the disc and hammer for throwers, and the height of the hurdles in running by 110 meters with barriers. Until that time, these athletics programs for young athletes used Olympic sports equipment and the height of barriers, as in adult competitions.
Junior Competition Rules
From the moment the championship was held, each country could put up two participants for one type of program, and since 2003 the restrictions have expanded to three people. At the moment, European championships are playing medals among juniors in 44 disciplines of the Queen of Sports. Teams of national teams that are members of the European Athletics Federation are allowed. In the summer of 2017, the next competition of this championship among juniors will be held in the city of Grosseto (Italy).
Since 1986, official championships among juniors have been held in Asia. In Algeria since 1994, with a frequency of once every two years, competitions are also held among young people of junior ages.
Two federations are launching in America. Since 1974, the Athletics Federation of Central America and the Caribbean began to hold championships for juniors. The first starts were in Venezuela. And in Sudbury (Canada) since 1980, under the auspices of the Pan American Athletics Association, they began to hold junior competitions.
Usain Bolt (from Jamaica) is the most famous junior of modern times in athletics, who went on to big sport, becoming a repeated world champion in the 100, 200 meters, team relay 4 of 100 meters. The whole world now knows this legend. He is on the junior list with a world record of 200 meters - 20.13 seconds, set in 2003 at the championship in Bridgetown (Barbados). Today, "man-lightning" has replenished already adult lists of world champions.
In some countries, there are entire schools for training young athletes. Since 2014, the Junior Sport club has been operating in Kiev (Ukraine).