Why no junior 4cc's or Europeans?

[Whitneyskates]

This is something I've alway wondered about. Just about every major ISU event has a junior counterpart, Worlds,,GP and the GPF. I think every nationals has a junior competition and now there's even the youth olympics. So why not a junior 4cc and European championship? Would it be too expensive? Not enough time? Or perhaps just too many competitions for some of the younger skaters?

 

[gmyers]

Probably the cost is an issue. Both for ISU and skaters.

I would like to see a Junior Euro Ladies! But then it would just be a rerun of Russian Junior Championship! LOL! Lipnitskaya Vs, Sotnikova, Vs Tuktamisheva! Or Lipnitskaya vs Radianova or Medvedeva!

 

[gkelly]

Historically, there hasn't been a demand for it. Maybe someday, if the sport remains popular worldwide and the funds are available to support it, junior continental championships would be instituted. But then you'd have to find a time in the schedule for them. When do you suggest?

Off the top of my head (I'll look up specifics later if you're interested)
Europeans has been around since 1892
Worlds 1896
Junior Worlds 1976 in its original form
Grand Prix (unified series leading to a final) 1995
Junior Grand Prix 1998
Four Continents 1999

There would never have been a demand for junior continental championships on the basis of parity before Four Continents existed in the first place.

Given that Four Continents serves the whole world except for Europe so that it's always halfway around the world from some participating countries and therefore top skaters from those countries sometimes choose not to participate, it might involve too much expensive travel to attract a full field of junior skaters as well.

And in both continental groups, in any given year the junior ladies might outscore the seniors, at least on technical merit. Especially in Olympic years when top skaters are more likely to skip the continental championships.

 

[aussie_SKATES]

In theory, it would be a great idea, and an opportunity for junior skaters to watch senior international competition in person.

Since the Senior and Junior Grand Prix Finals have been recently combined, perhaps two such events could be run in tandem with Europeans and Four Continents. Similarly, I believe that Junior and Senior Roller Skating Worlds are combined and held over a two week period.