The 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships are on.
In a joint press release issued by the national swimming federations of the four Pan Pac charter nations (USA, Canada, Japan, Australia), the meet has been confirmed for August 24-27 at the K. Mark Takai Veterans Memorial Aquatics Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.
While no specific announcement was previously made to cancel the event, up until recently, expectations were that this meet wouldn’t be taking place in 2022. However, that has shifted with the World Junior Championships being pulled out of Kazan, and no replacement dates put in place as of yet.
“We are grateful to the Pan Pacs charter nations for their support and partnership of this international meet and look forward to welcoming them to Hawaii,” USA Swimming Managing Director of the National Team Lindsay Mintenko said.
“When the opportunity presented itself to fill a gap and host an event for our junior team athletes, we didn’t hesitate. We all understand the value and importance of international team trips and competitions for our next generation of athletes.”
The 2020 Junior Pan Pacs were scheduled to take place in Honolulu but ended up being canceled in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. hosting rights shifted to 2022.
The next edition of the senior Pan Pacific Championships, which were scheduled to take place in 2022 in Canada, was deferred until 2026 back in 2020 after the Olympics were postponed until 2021 (subsequently making the 2022 calendar incredibly congested).
In addition to the four charter nations, the joint press release notes that other select non-European Swimming League (LEN) will also be in attendance.
The last time the competition was held in 2018 (in Fiji, hosted by Japan), swimmers from New Zealand, China, Fiji, Singapore, South Korea and Ecuador also competed. The meet is designed for nations that border the Pacific Ocean.
Swimmers aged 13-18 as of December 31st of the competition year are eligible to compete at the Junior Pan Pacs.
A USA Swimming representative notes that if FINA announces new dates and a host for World Juniors, they’ll make a decision at that time if they will send swimmers to both meets. However, it should be noted that the original dates for Worlds Juniors (August 23-28) directly conflict with Junior Pacs.
James, Do you know the meet event times and television schedule, channel?
Thank you.
James,
Can you confirm 17 or 18 for girls by Dec 31st? Getting mixed signals. World junior records are 17 for girls and 18 for boys. Thanks
Looks like lots of other top swimmers will be able to try to qualify since 13-18 yo (Hook, Jacoby, Curzan).
It’s boys aged 14-18. Girls 13-17. (Age at 31st Dec that year)
Would have loved to have seen the Australian junior team in 2021 including Dekkers and Short etc etc etc but they’ve aged up.
Both will probably qualify for Worlds and Comm Games.
Incorrect. Both genders 18u as of Dec 31 2022
In Fiji (2018)
USA had several 18 year old women: Carter, Raab, and L. Nordmann to name a few
Ok. Australia uses same as junior worlds ages ie 13-17 for women,. That explains a few of the results at last junior pan pacs. Australian women are mostly one year younger.
Sorry 14-17
McNeil swam jr pan pacs in Maui at age 16
and jr pan pacs in Fiji at 18. In fact, she declined her Pan pacs spot in favor of jr pan pacs in Fiji (article in SwimSwam at that time)
That would mean men / women aged 18 and under should be eligible for this meet. 👍🌴
Summer mcintosh
FINA’s really bungling things again by not announcing a new host for junior worlds. Is there any reason Honolulu couldn’t have hosted junior worlds instead? Maybe no one’s willing to pay FINA’s host fee?
Honolulu will be “worlds” if everyone chooses to come. I think Russia’s invite will get lost in the mail. Just a hunch I have.
Imagine we somehow get a Grimes, Sims & McIntosh match up 😍
I thought that if you are a charter nation(like the US or Canada), you can’t have athletes who have previously swam at worlds or Olympics on your roster. Correct me if I am wrong.
Where did you find that information?
Canadian selection criteria for 2020 Junior Pan Pacs.
https://www.swimming.ca/content/uploads/2020/01/2020-Junior-Pan-Pac-Selection_30Sept2019-approved-revised6Jan2020.pdf
I can’t find updated selection criteria for 2022 yet but you’d think that part hasn’t changed.
You would think so, but what this could mean is that a whole “generation” of young swimmers could potentially miss out on a major international event for juniors (if they qualify for Worlds (opens) this year). They would of course have a choice of swimming worlds or junior pacs, but disappointing for them if they take the former – they really miss an amazing experience
What will be the selection meet for this? I assume World Championship trials in April?
Maybe summer junior nationals? Isn’t that meet like 2 weeks before
The selection meet is P66 Team Trials in April.
Are open water world JR’s on? Grimes and Sims are almost certainly going to make 3 teams (Worlds, JR Pan Pacs, and OW JR Worlds). Big possible schedule!
No idea if it is just a US rule or FINA or what, but Team USA does not usually let junior swimmers that have made a senior international meet go back to Jr Pan Pacs.
Don’t know how OW plays in, but they are not allowed to do Worlds AND Jr Pan Pacs.