ISU Junior Grand Prix in Germany
The ISU Junior Grand Prix in Germany – also known as the Blue Swords Cup – is an international figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union, organized and hosted by the German Ice Skating Union. It is held periodically as an event of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a series of international competitions exclusively for junior-level skaters. Medals may be awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance. Skaters earn points based on their results at the qualifying competitions each season, and the top skaters or teams in each discipline are invited to then compete at the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.
History
The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating was established by the International Skating Union in 1997 and consists of a series of seven international figure skating competitions exclusively for junior-level skaters. The locations of the Junior Grand Prix events change every year. While all seven competitions feature the men's, women's, and ice dance events, only four competitions each season feature the pairs event. Skaters earn points based on their results each season, and the top skaters or teams in each discipline are then invited to compete at the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.Skaters are eligible to compete on the junior-level circuit if they are at least 13 years old before 1 July of the respective season, but not yet 19, or 23. Competitors are chosen by their respective skating federations. The number of entries allotted to each ISU member nation in each discipline is determined by their results at the prior World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
The Blue Swords Cup was first held in 1961 in Chemnitz – then called Karl-Marx-Stadt – in East Germany. The name refers to the crossed swords logo of Meissen Porcelain, who sponsored the competition and sculpted the trophies that were awarded to the champions. In 1985, the Blue Swords became a junior-level event, and in 1997, it was one of the inaugural events of the Junior Grand Prix Series. Matthew Savoie and Amber Corwin, both of the United States, won the men's and women's events, respectively. Natalie Vlandis and Jered Guzman of the United States won the pairs event, and Oksana Potdykova and Denis Petukhov of Russia won the ice dance event.