LEN, the European Aquatics governing body, has announced the competition dates for the 2022 European Junior Champions next summer, with swimming set to take place July 5th-10th and diving scheduled for June 27th-July 3rd. The meet will take place a little over a month after the completion of the 2022 World Championships, which are slated to take place May 13th-29th in Fukuoka, Japan.
Dates #SWIMMING & #DIVING European Junior Championships 2022 – #Otopeni (#ROU)
Swimming 5/10 July – Diving 27 June / 3 July
‼️▶️ https://t.co/oJE8bIfHcz pic.twitter.com/OKOCb96hom— European Aquatics (@EuroAquatics) January 17, 2022
The dates for this summer’s European Junior Championships fall roughly in line with previous editions of the annual event, which have been held in the last week of June or first two weeks of July every year since 2009. The meet will also be held roughly a month before the European Championships, which will be held in Rome August 11th-21st.
There has been a level of uncertainty surrounding the 2022 and 2023 international meet calendar thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent delay of the Tokyo Olympics, though the 2022 European Junior Championship and European Championship dates have now both been confirmed to be largely unaffected.
For the past 20 years, long course World Championships have only been held in odd numbered years, leaving the even years between Olympiads to more “regional” international meets, such as the European Championships and Pac Pacific Championships. Now, however, the postponed 2021 Worlds will be held in May of 2022 and the 2023 Worlds will be held in November. While the 2022 European swimming calendar will forge ahead seemingly unimpacted by the changes, the Pac Pacs have been postponed to 2026.
LEN had previously announced in July that Bucharest, Romania will serve as the host for both the 2022 Euro Juniors and the 2023 Short Course Euros in their newly constructed Otopeni Olympic Swimming Complex.
The facility sits about 15 kilometers outside the city center and boasts an impressive 6 pools, including a competition pool, diving pool and a 25 meter training pool. The competition pool has seating capacity for up to 3,000 spectators.
Romania has never hosted the European Junior Championships, making it the 25th country to host the event since it began in 1967. The timing for the host country is notable in that rising sprint superstar David Popovici will be eligible to compete at the junior championships in his home country, carrying the potential of several record setting performances.
Last summer Popovici set the World Junior Record in the 100 free with a 47.30 at the European Junior Championships in Rome. He also set the European Junior Record in the 200 free in the final of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where he finished just off the podium in 4th with a 1:44.68.
Outside of swimmer for the host country, what does Popovici accomplish by swimming at this meet?? Unless WCs get canceled or something, I’d guess he’ll pass on this.
WCs are happening in May this year.
July: Junior Europeans.
August: Senior Europeans.
>>> He will participate in all 3 competitions.
What about junior worlds? I don’t see a problem with him swimming all those events, considering that the most important event (senior worlds) will be first. He can focus on senior worlds and then see what is left in the tank for the other competitions. Apart from Whittle (in the 100 free) i don’t see anyone challenging him in the 100/200 free at junior level even if he isn’t at his best (sub 48.5 and sub 1:46, usually those times are enough to win gold at junior level).