Junior World Championships Research Articles

Participation but not success in youth and junior World Championships is important for overall ranking in the biathlon World Cup during adult age

PurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate if competition rank in the youth (16–19 years) and junior (20–22 years) World Championships (WCH) and age of the athlete when reaching certain World Cup (WC) performance milestones (debut and top 40, 15, 6 and 3) were related to future World Cup total (WCT) performance.MethodsAll data was obtained from the International Biathlon Unions database. The biathletes ranked top 30 in the WCT (82 men, 98 women) during 10 consecutive competition seasons were selected for further analysis. Biathletes were divided into performance groups due to their best WCT ranking (WCT6, rank 1–6; WCT15, rank 7–15; WCT30, rank 16–30). The relation between youth and junior WCH ranking and age when reaching the WC performance milestones with WCT performance was investigated.Results63.3% and 86.1% of the biathletes in the WCT top 30 competed in the youth and/or junior WCH, respectively, but the correlation between junior and senior ranking was low. WCT6 reached most of the WC performance milestones at a younger age compared to WCT15 and WCT30 (p > 0.05) and reaching WC top15 at a younger age increased the chance of reaching WCT6 in the future.ConclusionIt seems beneficial to compete internationally (i.e., participation in youth/junior WCH) and reach certain WC performance milestones at a young age to achieve a high ranking in the WCT during adult age. This highlights that biathletes need to have a certain performance level during junior years, although ranking in youth/junior WCH is not a prediction for senior WCT success.

Early Specialization and Progress of Finalist Swimmers in World Championships and Olympic Games.

Background: The main objectives of this study were to analyze the effect of early specialization in swimming and to observe the general patterns of success of two different sport specialization models [Spanish (SPA) and United States of American (USA) swimmers] participating in World Championships (WCs) and Olympic Games (OGs) between the years 2006 and 2021 of all swimming strokes and distances. Methods: Descriptive analyses and contingency tables were examined for all the variables. Explanatory models of the z scores were estimated from age depending on the events' distances and strokes. Quadratic regression models were developed to capture the behavior of the variable time with parabolic functions, and the significance of the global model and the predictor variables (age) were also evaluated. In addition, the optimal age (peak performance) as well as the curvature of the model were analyzed. These models were compared between SPA and USA swimmers. Results: The results showed that the main differences in the patterns to success between SPA and USA were the earlier participation of USA swimmers in high-level competitions, as well as the greater number of participants for all the strokes, events, genders, and competitions. Age peak performance in short distances was lower for Spanish swimmers, obtaining the opposite situation for long distances. Conclusions: Being a finalist in junior WCs did not influence success in the finals of the senior WCs and OGs. Main differences in general patterns of success between SPA and USA showed younger swimmers participating in short-distance events, backstroke, and butterfly for USA swimmers and older swimmers taking part in butterfly and short-distance events for SPA.

Predicting future stars: Probability and performance corridors for elite swimmers

ObjectivesTo evaluate the new age groups of the World Junior Championships in swimming from a scientific perspective, establish benchmarks and performance corridors that predict success at peak performance age and compare performance corridors between men and women and short-, middle-, and long-distance freestyle races. DesignLongitudinal big data analysis. MethodsIn total, 347,186 annual best times of male (n = 3360, 561 ± 177 Swimming Points) and female freestyle swimmers (n = 2570, 553 ± 183 Swimming Points) were collected across all race distances at peak performance age and retrospectively analyzed throughout adolescence. Cumulative Poisson distribution was used to calculate probabilities of becoming world-class finalist, international-class, or national-class swimmer for each age group. Performance corridors were expressed relative to the World Record and compared between performance levels, sex, race distances, and age groups with a 2-way analysis of variance. ResultsFemales are required to swim faster relative to the World Record at a younger age and show earlier performance plateaus than males at national and international levels. Additionally, world-class long-distance finalists show higher Swimming Points earlier in their career compared to short-distance swimmers. This effect is more distinctive in females than males. ConclusionsBased on the sex-specific performance corridors and developments, the newly aligned age groups for the World Junior Championships are questionable regarding long-term athlete development. Based on race times from 131 nations, the present benchmarks provide valid international normative values to predict success chances at peak performance age and guide young swimmers along their talent pathway.

Pacing Strategy of 800 m and 1500 m Freestyle Swimming Finals in the World Championships According to the Performance in Males and Females of Different Age Groups

Pacing strategy refers to the distribution of effort and speed throughout the race to achieve optimal performance. This study aims to understand whether the choice of pacing strategy in swimming depends on the length of competitions and how sex, age, and performance level influence this strategy. Participants were the finalists of the 800 m and 1500 m freestyle events at the elite and junior world championships in 2022–2023. Race outcomes and pacing parameters were compared between the two distances and across different groups of swimmers. Swimmers in both distances did not break world records. Pacing strategy generally followed a U-shape with significant differences in the frequency and duration of speed changes between the two distances. The 800 m exhibited more frequent changes in acceleration, while the 1500 m events generally followed a more consistent time-series pattern. There were differences in pacing strategies between males and females and between junior and elite swimmers. Swimmers closer to world records showed more consistent pacing patterns compared to those farther from records. This study suggests that pacing strategies are influenced by race distance, sex, age, and performance level. The research highlights the complex interplay between physiological and psychological factors that shape a swimmer’s decision-making during a race.

Constituent Year Effects and Performance in Alpine Skiing Junior World Championships.

This study examines constituent year effect (CYE) and race performance among junior alpine skiers in the World Championships. In various junior age cohorts competing together, variation in skiing performance can be expected not only due to practice load and experience but also due to inter-individual differences in physical and psychological maturation. Within a one-year cohort, this effect has been referred to as the birth month effect or the relative age effect (RAE). In cohorts with multiple age bands, the effect is termed the constituent year effect (CYE). The CYE works in principle as the RAE but can function as a magnifying lens of the development within a larger multi-year cohort. The results of the current study indicate that CYEs are present among junior alpine skier performance in the junior World Championships. The magnitude of the constituent year effect is greater in speed events (i.e., downhill and super-G) than in technical events (i.e., slalom and giant slalom), and greater among male skiers compared to female skiers. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research on relative age effects more generally and within the sport context specifically.

“I remember the Cocagne arena was packed to the rafters”

Serge LeBlanc, who was born and raised in Sainte-Marie-de-Kent—a small town approximately 45km from the City of Moncton in New Brunswick, Canada—is a proud Southeast Acadian known affectionately to his friends and colleagues as ‘Bâyo’. Since the 1990s, Serge has become a staple in regional and national hockey communities in his capacity as an extremely dedicated equipment manager. He has worked with the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship, and with is currently the equipment manager for the Canadian Women’s National Hockey Team. In addition to looking after some of the world’s best athletes, Serge is a husband and father who works as the head equipment manager for all sports at the Université de Moncton, the country’s first Acadian university and also the largest francophone university outside of Quebec. This essay provides a brief history of the Acadian people and will then overview a conversation Serge had with the first author (also an Acadian from Moncton) about his heritage, his experiences in hockey, and how he believes that the two overlap.

Modelling performance by continents in swimming.

Introduction: There is a growing interest in the scientific community about the progression and congruity in the performance of talented participants who complete representing different nations in the most important international events. The prediction of incoming performances is nowadays in demand with the objective of returning in talent investment. Talent identification programs have tried to select and develop sports talent over years. However, to our knowledge, there is a lack of research about success in swimming World Championships (WCs) performance considering continents-country and how successful outcomes are influenced by these variables. Therefore, the primary goal is to analyze the effect of early specialization comparing the performance progression model of the countries gathered by continents. Methods: Participant's data from all Junior and Senior WCs between 2006 and 2017 from International Swimming Federation (FINA). One-way ANOVA, ANCOVA and regression model were used to explain whether the variable category, age, best z-score, experience, and continent influences the performance obtained in Absolute WC. Results: Significant differences (p < 0.01) were found between the average performance obtained by the two different categories (junior: swimmers participating in junior WCs before senior WCs; senior: swimmers participating in senior WCs without previous participation in junior WCs), where swimmers from category junior showed significant better performance's times than seniors, except in America. ANCOVA results showed that generally, the greatest differences where in the earliest ages, with best performance registered in category junior in all the continents. Also, the experience was a significant variable in the general model. Conclusion: Swimmers who had participated in junior category prior absolute obtained better performance's times than those swimmers who participated directly in absolute, in the first participation in senior WC. Thus, early specialization is a key factor to obtain better results in senior WCs for all the continents, except in America.

Cadet and Junior Performance Is Associated With Senior’s World Championship and Olympics Achievement in Judo

ABSTRACT Purpose: We determined whether cadet and junior Judo World Championship participation and medal achievement would predict senior performance at World Championship (WC) and Olympic Games (OG). Methods: We analyzed retrospectively a total of 7780 athletes who competed at the OG and WC in the cadet, junior, and senior between 2009 and 2021. Results: There was an increase in the probability of winning a medal in the senior category (WC and OG, and only WC) ranged from 4.3 to 4.5 for medal-winning cadets compared to non-medalists and this probability remained around 3.3–3.8 for medalists in the male and 5.3–5.4 for the female medalists in cadet WC. Moreover, the chance of winning a medal in the senior category (WC and OG) was 8.1–8.5 times greater for medalists when compared to non-medalists in the junior WC. In turn, the probability of winning a medal in the senior (WC) was 1.5–1.7 times greater for athletes who did not compete in the junior WC. In the OG, the probability of winning a medal was 3.5 greater times for medalists when compared to non-medalists at cadet and junior WC. Conclusion: Thus, being a cadet or junior WC medalist increases the probability of winning a senior WC or an Olympic medal.

THE EFFECT OF SCORE COMPONENTS ON TOTAL SCORE IN THE INDIVIDUAL APPARATUS QUALIFICATION OF 1ST RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

The study aims to determine the effect of the total score components on the total score and the differences between the score components in the 1st Rhythmic Gymnastics Junior World Championship individual apparatus qualification held in Moscow, Russian Federation, in2019. In this study, 1708 scores of 138 gymnasts from 61 countries were analyzed in all routines. For all routines, the effects of difficulty subgroup scores (D1-2, D3-4) on difficulty total scores (DTS), execution subgroup deduction scores (E1-2, E3-4-5-6) on execution total scores (ETS), and the effects of DTS and ETS on total scores (TS) were examined. Descriptive statistics, linear regression, and one-way ANOVA analysis were used. In linear regression analysis results, it was observed that the effect of DTS on TS was higher than the effect of ETS on TS in rope, ball, clubs, and ribbon routines. Among all apparatus, the effects of DTS and ETS on TS were observed as the highest in the clubs routines and the lowest in the rope routines. The effect of D3-4 on TS was higher than D1-2. The effect of deduction E3-4-5-6 on TS was higher than E1-2 (p&lt;0.001). Statistically significant differences were found only between the DTS mean scores of the apparatus (p&lt;0.000) analyzed with one-way ANOVA. This has led to a conclusion that the balance in the effect of TS components on TS scores will contribute to the integrity and the artistic impact of routines and also lead to better results, therefore more time should be devoted to rope and ribbon routines in the early stages of physical preparation.

Peak Age and Relative Performance Progression in International Cross-Country Skiers.

To quantify peak age and relative performance progression toward peak age in cross-country skiing according to event type, sex, and athlete performance level. International Ski Federation (FIS) points (performance expressed relative to the best athlete) of athletes born between 1981 and 1991, competing in junior world championships or finishing top 30 in world championships or Olympics, were downloaded from the FIS website. Individual performance trends were derived by fitting a quadratic curve to each athletes FIS point and age data. Peak age was 26.2 (2.3) years in distance and 26.0 (1.7) years in sprint events. The sex difference in peak age in sprint events was ∼0.8 years (small, P = .001), while there was no significant sex difference in peak age in distance events (P = .668). Top performers displayed higher peak ages than other athletes in distance (mean difference, ±95% confidence limits = 1.6y, ±0.6y, moderate, P < .001) and sprint events (1.0, ±0.6y, moderate, P < .001). FIS point improvement over the 5 years preceding peak age did not differ between event types (P = .325), while men improved more than women in both events (8.8, ±5.4%, small, P = .002 and 7.5, ±6.4%, small, P = .002). Performance level had a large effect on improvement in FIS points in both events (P < .001). This study provides novel insights on peak age and relative performance progression among world-class cross-country skiers and can assist practitioners, sport institutions, and federations with goal setting and evaluating strategies for achieving success.

Hip Profile in World Elite Junior Badminton Players: Impingement and Range of Motion Data from the World Junior Badminton Championship 2018

AbstractBadminton is played with repetitive high loading to the hip with lunging and jumps. In sports like soccer there is a high prevalence of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome in youth populations which may predispose them to osteoarthritis (OA). Internal rotation deficit in the hip of football players is a predictor of hip and groin pain and differences in the range of motion (ROM) of the hip between sex and different ethnicities exist. Early hip replacements in former elite badminton players due to OA seem to be a problem. There are no published values for ROM and impingement of the hip in badminton. The purpose is to report ROM and impingement of the hip in elite junior badminton players and to report any differences between sex and ethnicities. Players at the World Junior Championship 2018 were examined for hip flexion, rotation, and impingement test. Injury history was obtained from a questionnaire. Two hundred and eighty-four players of 433 aged 16 to 18 years were examined. One hundred and forty-three players answered the questionnaire. Females demonstrated greater hip ROM than males. In the dominant side hip flexion was (137.7 degrees [ ± 9.1] vs. 132.2 degrees [ ± 11.1], p &lt; 0.001), internal rotation range of motion or IROM (60.0 degrees [ ± 10.9] vs. 49 degrees [ ± 11.1], p &lt; 0.001) and external rotation range of motion or EROM (57.9 degrees [ ± 9.9] vs. 54.7 degrees [ ± 8.9], 0.004). Hip flexion was higher in Asian players compared with non-Asian players (139.1 degrees [ ± 8.4] vs. 130.3 degrees [ ± 10.7], p &lt; 0.001). One hundred (35%) players had at least one positive impingement test. A possible relationship between a positive FADIR and a decrease in hip flexion was found in the dominant hip, OR 1.06 (1.02–1.11) p = 0.005. A total of 104 previous injuries lasting over 30 days were reported with five hip-related injuries. No correlation between injury and examinations was found. Females and Asians demonstrated higher ROM in the hip than males and non-Asians. Impingement of the hip is frequent and may be related to low hip flexion.

Is there a Relative Age Effect in the Competition Total Scores and its Components of Junior Individual Rhythmic Gymnasts?

Background: Children born at the beginning of the year may be cognitively, emotionally, and physically more advantageous than those born at the end of the year. Aim: This study aims to determine whether there is a relative age effect (RAE) on the total scores and its components of the gymnasts in their routines, competing in the 1st Rhythmic Gymnastics Junior World Championships Individual All-Around Ranking-Apparatus Qualification in 2019. Methods: 138 gymnasts from 61 countries participated in this competition and 61 gymnasts competed in each apparatus. The total scores (TS) and its components in gymnasts' competition routines were analyzed according to gymnasts' age groups (13, 14, and 15 years old) and period of birth [Group I (those born in the first six months of the year), Group II (those born in the last six months of the year)]. Differences and percentages of change between the two periods were examined. A total of 732 scores (Difficulty, Execution, and Total Scores) were evaluated. Descriptive statistics and the One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) Test analysis were used for statistical evaluation. Results: When the TS and its components were examined in all age groups and all routines, no significant difference was observed between Group I and Group II in terms of RAE. Conclusion: It is thought that considering the RAE in talent selection and orientation programs, participation in sports activities and performance evaluation may be useful for athletes, coaches, and administrators. Keywords: Rhythmic gymnastics, competition performance scores, relative age effect, gymnast

The effect of score components on total score in the Group All-Around Ranking of 1st Rhythmic Gymnastics Junior World Championships

Aim: The analysis of the score components that affect the result in rhythmic gymnastics group (RGG) routines can guide the decisions to be made in the future evaluation and competition rules, and the physical preparation of the coaches and athletes. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of total score components on total score in the Group All-Around RankingApparatus Qualification of 1st Rhythmic Gymnastics Junior World Championships (WCh), which was organized for the first time in 2019, Moscow, Russian Federation. Methods: In this study, 455 components of a total of 65 group routines were analyzed in 5 hoops (33 countries) and 5 ribbons routines (32 countries). Descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis were used for all score components. Results: In 5 hoops and 5 ribbons routines, the effect of D1-2 scores on DTS was 91% and 81%, the effect of D3-4 scores on DTS was 99% and 95%, the effect of DTS on TS was 98% and 98% respectively, also in the E score components, the effect of deduction E1-2 scores on TS was 93% and 95%, the effect of deduction E3-4-5-6 scores on ETS was 88% and 99%, the effect of ETS on TS was 94% and 97% respectively (p<0.001). In both routines, the effect of DTS on TS was more than ETS. It was determined that the effects of D1-2 and D3-4 components on DTS in 5 hoops routines were higher than in 5 ribbons routines and the most effective subcomponent on DTS was D3-4. In the 5 ribbons routines, the effect of ETS was observed to be higher than the 5 hoops routines. Conclusion: A good balance to be established between the score components is important for the integrity of composition. The predominance of one component can disrupt the beauty of unity.

Study on approaching the compositional criterion in group rhythmic gymnastics for junior representative teams

Abstract. The increased level of sports performance in rhythmic gymnastics due to fiercer and better and better organised competitions is obvious for any critic. National and international sports bodies and public opinion stimulated by media coverage eager for sensational have created an obsession with the prioritisation of values. Obtaining exceptional results, medals, points and titles, with all the deriving moral effects of pride but especially related to material aspects, is of interest to both athletes and the countries represented by sports delegations in official international competitions. Competition analysis provides highly valuable information on the level reached in terms of qualitative and quantitative gains and the impact of regulations on a team’s performance at a certain time in relation to the ideal model imposed by the requirements of the FIG Code of Points. Romania’s position in the team ranking for the group event in two major competitions generated a number of questions that formed the core of the current study. In this context, we aimed to perform an objective analysis of the way in which coaches approached the compositional criterion in designing the competition routines and identify possibly strategic elements that made the difference in team ranking. The study was conducted on the first 8 junior teams ranked at the 2019 European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships (Baku) and the 2019 Rhythmic Gymnastics Junior World Championships (Moscow). Video analysis allowed us to identify the vectors that directly or indirectly influenced the mechanisms involved in the creation of compositions for the group event.

Training and injuries among world elite junior badminton players – Identifying the problems

BackgroundThe game of badminton has evolved since the early injury epidemiology studies. Since there is no published literature on injuries in elite junior badminton players from an international cohort, this study provides an updated reference of injuries in this population to inform future injury prevention strategies. The objective of this study was to report injury prevalence and training hours in elite junior badminton players participating at the World Junior Championships in 2018. MethodsA questionnaire was used to collect data and was available in English, French, Spanish, Korean, Japanese or Chinese. It was designed to collect information including basic demographics, hours of training and competition, number of tournaments per year, current and previous injuries characterized by anatomical region, diagnosis, treatment and injury duration. The questions were focused on previous significant injuries lasting a minimum of 30 days and current musculoskeletal symptoms. ResultsOne hundred and sixty-four of 436 players with a mean age of 17.1 years (SD ± 0.8) filled in the questionnaire. Participants represented North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and The Pacific's including the top 10 performing nations, providing a good overall representation of tournament participants. A total of 104 significant injuries (median duration of 90 days) with disruption of full training or competition capacity were reported. Seventy-eight (48%) players reported one or more significant injury. The most common location of significant injury was in the knee, ankle and lower back. Eleven injuries were reported as stress fractures. In 35 cases a player felt lasting limitation from a significant injury and in 37 cases a player felt lasting pain. ConclusionPreviously in their career almost 50% of the players had sustained a significant injury with a median duration of 90 days. The lower extremities and the lower back were the predominant injured regions. In one third of the injuries a player had lasting limitations or pain. Stress fractures may be a serious underestimated problem in badminton.

Differences in Anthropometric Characteristics and Body Composition of Water Polo Players in the 2019 World Junior Championship

Differences in Anthropometric Characteristics and Body Composition of Water Polo Players in the 2019 World Junior Championship

Swimming World Championships: Association between Success at the Junior and Senior Level for British Swimmers.

The present study examines the association between the success at junior and senior level for British swimmers in World Championships (WCs). It also explores the relationships between swimming performance and the swimmers’ gender, swim stroke, distance, status (finalist, semifinalist and heats) and swimming category. Data were collected for swimmers participating in junior and/or senior World Championships (29,000 entries: 5585 swimmers) from 2006–2017. The final filtered database included only swimmers from the United Kingdom (836 entries: 141 swimmers). A descriptive analysis was made to characterize the swimmers who reached elite status in the senior category. A lineal regression model was run by gender to predict the influence of category, swim stroke, and distance in the results reached in the senior category. The results showed that the ratio of conversion from junior to senior was quite low. Females who participated in both junior and senior WCs were likely to reach top positions in the senior category. Overall, few British swimmers participated in a junior category before the senior level, but female swimmers participating in both junior and senior WCs were likely to reach top positions in the senior category.

Variations in the constituent year effect in Junior World Championships in alpine skiing: A window into relative development effects?

While research on the effects of 'birth month' is usually referred to as relative age effects, the study of the effects of 'birth year' is described as the constituent year effect (CYE). In the present study we examined the impact of the CYE on participation in the Junior World Championship in alpine skiing. Based on previous research, we expected to find increasing numbers of participants the older the age-group, and that the CYE would be stronger in the speed events compared to the technical ones. The sample in the present study consisted of 1188 male skiers and 859 female skiers within the age range of 17 to 21 years at the time of competition. The results show that the number of male participants increased with increasing age, which can be described as a CYE. For female skiers, a CYE was found, but it dissipated two years earlier than for male skiers. The CYE varied with event and was more pronounced the higher the speed of the event. The findings thus suggest that a constituent year effect exists among skiers participating in the FIS Junior World Ski Championship in the alpine skiing championships, and that the effect varies with gender and event, rather unrelated to age. Thus, it seems that the effect may not be a relative age effect, but instead a relative development effect.

Analysis of World Championship Swimmers Using a Performance Progression Model.

PurposeThe primary aim was to create a performance progression model of elite competitors in the World Swimming Championships from 2006 to 2017 for all strokes and distances. Secondly, to identify the influence of annual ratios of progression, ages of peak performance and junior status on success in senior competitions.MethodsData regarding the participants of senior and junior World Championships (WCs) between 2006 and 2017 were obtained from FINA. The final filtered database, after removing those swimmers who just participated in junior WCs, included 4076. Statistical models were used to examine differences between the top senior swimmers (the top 30% best performances; T30) and lower level swimmers (the bottom 70% performances; L70) for minimum age (MA), progress (P) and best junior time (BJ). In order to identify the variables that contribute to reach the T30 group, a logistic regression (LR), stepwise LR and decision tree were applied. To analyze the effect of each variable separately, a simple LR (gross odds ratio) was performed. Ratio probabilities (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for each variable.ResultsSwimmer’s BJ and P were higher in the T30 group (p < 0.000). The decision tree showed the greatest explanatory capacity for BJ, followed by P. The MA had a very low explanatory capacity and was not significant in the LR.ConclusionSwimmers with exceptional junior performance times, or have a high rate of progress are more likely to be successful at the senior WCs.

Pacing Behavior Development of Youth Short-Track Speed Skaters: A Longitudinal Study.

This study aimed to analyze the development of pacing behavior of athletes during adolescence using a longitudinal design. Lap times of male short-track speed skaters (140 skaters, 573 race performances) over two or more 1500-m races during Junior World Championships between 2010 and 2018 were analyzed. Races were divided into four sections (laps 1-3, 4-7, 8-11, and 12-14). Using MLwiN (P < 0.05), multilevel prediction models in which repeated measures (level 1) were nested within individual athletes (level 2) were used to analyze the effect of age (15-20 yr), race type (fast, slow), and stage of competition (final, nonfinal) on absolute section times and relative section times (percentage of total time spent in a section). Between the ages of 15 and 20 yr, total race time decreased (-6.99 s) and skaters reached lower absolute section time in laps 8-11 (-2.33 s) and 12-14 (-3.28 s). The relative section times of laps 1-3 (1.42%) and 4-7 (0.66%) increased and of laps 8-11 (-0.53%) and 12-14 (-1.54%) decreased with age. Fast races were more evenly paced compared with slow races, with slow races having a predominantly slow first half and fast finish. Athletes in finals were faster (2.29 s), specifically in laps 4-7 (0.85 s) and laps 8-11 (0.84 s). Throughout adolescence, short-track speed skaters develop more conservative pacing behavior, reserving energy during the start of the race in order to achieve a higher velocity in the final section of the race and a decrease in total race time. Coaches should take into consideration that the pacing behavior of young athletes develops during adolescence, prepare athletes for the differences in velocity distribution between race types, and inform them on how to best distribute their efforts over the different stages of competition.