Age Group Champs (Formerly Junior Olympics) Update

FGC Age Group Champs (Formerly JO’s) has some major changes for 2023-24.  Please see below for specific changes and the reasoning behind them.

 

1.  Name change from JO’s to FGC Age Group (AG) Champs.  The term Junior Olympics (JO’s) is no longer permitted for use by the United States Olympic Paralympic Comittee (USOPC).  This ruling was emphasized at the 2022 USA Swimming Annuall Business meeting in September.  During the meeting LSCs were specifically asked to stop using the term, per the USA Swimming rule book.  FGC renamed our Age Group Champs meet at the October Board of Directors meeting to comply with the ruling.

 

2.  New individual time standards have been posted for the 2023 and 2024 SCY and LCM seasons.  FGC moved to adjusting the AG Champs time standards every 2 years back in 2021 after the post COVID champs meets resumed.  Under the current policies and procedures the next time the standards will be updated will be September 2024 for the 2025 SCY season.

 

3.  Relay time standards for the AG Champs meets have been created for 2023-24.    Many coaches asked questions regarding relays and the level of swimmers participating in the AG Champs meets.  Both 2022 SCY and LCM meets were reviewed.  A comparison was made between the number of teams who finished the race legally, the aggregate B times and aggregate BB times.  Relay standards for 10 under and 11-12 age groups were set at the B time standard.  13-14 were set at the BB time standard.  

 

Liz Kershaw

Age Group Chair