The International Skating Union, Japan Skating Federation and the Organizing Committee have the honor and pleasure to invite you to the:

General Regulations

The ISU World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2015 will be conducted in accordance with the 2014 ISU Regulations and relevant Communications. Participation is open to all ISU Members. Entries must be made only through the respective ISU Members (Rule 131).

Distances

Individual 1500, 500, 1000, 1500 meters Ladies and Men

Relay 3000 meters Ladies and Men

Track Conditions

The Osaka pool ice rink has an artificially refrigerated indoor ice surface of 60 x 30 meters. Protective padding covers the boards in accordance with Rule 280, paragraph 5 and ISU Communication No. 1726. The standard track will be laid out 111.12 meters to the lap.

Entries

a) Entries can only be made using the ISU Online Entry System for Short Track Speed Skating on www.isu.org, section Short Track Speed Skating.

b) Entries with the number of Competitors, substitutes, coaches & team leader and requirements of accommodation must be submitted by Friday, January 16th, 2015. (Rule 295, paragraph 4).

ISU Members failing to comply in time with these requirements will receive no support from the Organizing Member for:

- Hotel booking;
- Travel arrangements between airport and hotel;
- Travel arrangements between hotel and ice rink;
- Access to Closing Banquet (if held);
- Preferred times for additional training sessions.

All these costs and any additional costs incurred will be for the full account of the ISU Members concerned.

c) Final Entries must reach the Organizing Committee using the Online Entry System not later than Sunday, February 22nd, 2015 (Rule 295, paragraph 4), and the following information must be communicated to the Organizing Committee:

- Names of the Competitors and substitutes per category with their International Registration Numbers;
- Names of the Competitors for each of the respective individual distances;
- Confirmation of participation in the Relay.

Final Entries that do not comply with these requirements are considered Post Entries. See Rule 115.

d) Competitors must be present in Osaka at the latest at 18:00 hours on Thursday, February 26th, 2015 or the Organizing Committee must receive documented proof that the competitors are in transit and will arrive in due time for the Championships. Competitors who do not comply with these requirements will be excluded

e) Please note that for all persons entered by the Members, the procedures regarding the Declaration for Competitors and Officials (all team Officials requiring an accreditation) entering ISU Events (Rule 131) as outlined in ISU Communication No. 1628 need to be strictly observed.

For more details please refer to Rules 115, 131 and ISU Communication Nos. 1628 and 1797 or any update of this Communication.

In accordance with Rule 109 of the ISU Regulations and ISU Communication No.1420, all Skaters who do not have the nationality of the Member by which they have been entered or who, although having such nationality, have in the past represented another Member, must produce an ISU Clearance Certificate.

Individual Entries

Each ISU Member has the right to enter three (3) Competitors in each individual category Ladies and Men.

Relay Entries

ISU Members entering a Relay Team can only enter a maximum of four (4) Competitors which will include all Competitors for both competitions: Individual and Relay.

Qualifying Times

Entered Skaters (including substitutes) must have achieved applicable qualifying times over 500 meters, in accordance with ISU Communication No. 1891, paragraph II.d), as follows

For a result to be a valid qualifying time, it must have been achieved in the period between July 1, 2014 and the final entry deadline specified in the paragraph “Entries” above.

Points and Classification

In accordance with Rule 295, paragraphs 5, 6, 7 and 8.

Titles and Medals

The winners of the Championships (according to Rule 133) will bear the title:

The World Junior and Lady World Junior Champions will receive the ISU gold medal. The skaters placed second and third will receive the ISU silver and bronze medals respectively.
The winning team of the ISU World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2015 for the Relay competition will bear the title World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Relay Champions or Ladies World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Relay Champions for 2015 and will receive the ISU gold medal. The second and third placed relay teams will receive the ISU silver and bronze medals respectively.
Prize money will be awarded in accordance with ISU Communication No 1509, or any further update of this Communication.

Ice Training

All practice sessions will take place at the Competition venue. The Organizing Committee will arrange free ice training on Thursday, February 26th, 2015 for all participating teams. Extra practices will be provided from Monday, February 23rd, 2015. Each training session (50 minutes) will be charged 10,000JPY. If two or more teams agree to share one training session, both (all) of them can share the cost.
Payment for additional practice ice time must be paid in [currency] to the Organizing Committee upon arrival. For practice ice time prior to the official practice, please inform the Organizing Committee using the attached form. Medical coverage will be provided for the official and additional practice sessions in accordance with Rule 140.

Anti-Doping

Anti-Doping tests will be carried out according to the ISU Anti-Doping Code, as given in the applicable ISU Communications (ISU Communications Nos. 1765, 1800, 1871 & 1872 or later updates).

Liability

In accordance with Rule 119 of the ISU General Regulations, the ISU, Japan Skating Federation and The Organizing Committee assume no responsibility for or liability with respect to bodily or personal injury or property damage incurred in connection with the ISU World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2015. Each Member is solely responsible for providing insurance coverage thereto.

Accommodation and Meals

The Organizing Committee will provide accommodation and meals starting with lunch on Thursday February 26th, 2015 until lunch on Monday March 2nd, 2015 (for those departing in the afternoon) for all participating Skaters, maximum four (4) Ladies and four (4) Men, plus one team leader from each ISU Member. All teams arriving before Thursday February 26th, 2015 or leaving after Monday March 2nd, 2015 or bringing in more than the officially designated number of participants will be responsible for their own costs and are kindly requested to settle the amount due on site, at the applicable rate, upon arrival. Methods of payment: Cash in JPY, or Credit card; VISA, Master, Diners Club, Amex.
All arrangements for accommodations must be made through the Organizing Committee.

Official Hotels

The Organizing Committee will arrange hotel reservations for the participants at the following official hotel;

Hotel Osaka Baytower
1-2-1, Benten, Minato-ku, Osaka, Japan 552-0007
Tel: +81-(0)6-6577-1111 Fax: +81-(0)6-6576-5155
URL: http://www.osaka-baytower.com/multilingual/en/index.html

Hotel requirements must be communicated to the Organizing Committee as soon as possible, but no later than Friday, January 16th, 2015.

The cost of a room and meals at the official hotel is as follows:
Single Room：JPY 17,000 (per person per night , including three meals and taxes)
Twin Room ：JPY 14,500 (per person per night , including three meals and taxes)
Triple Room： JPY 13,500 (per person per night , including three meals and taxes)

Transportation

The Organizing Committee will provide transportation for all participants between Kansai International Airport (or Itami Airport) and the official hotel, from Sunday, February 22nd, 2015 to Monday, March 2nd, 2015. The travel expense by bus will be 1,000 JPY per person (one way) for every team. Participants arriving and departing from other airport(s) or train/bus stations will be responsible for the transport costs. Expenses for team officials, who do not accompany their team members, are to be borne by themselves.
The Organizing Committee will also provide free transportation for all participants between the official hotel and Osaka Pool Ice Rink during the competition days and the training periods, starting from February 23rd, 2015.
The date, airline, flight number, expected time of arrival and the date and time of departure should be communicated to the Organizing Committee as soon as possible, but no later than January 16th, 2015. Please include the amount of special equipment (e.g. bicycles, massage tables, etc.) that needs to be transported.

Medical Insurance

It is the sole responsibility of each ISU Member participating in an ISU Event (as defined in Rule 107), to provide medical insurance for their Skaters. Proof of such can be requested by the Organizing Committee.

Entry Visa Requirements

Should you need assistance to obtain a Japan entry visa or require a specific letter of invitation, please contact the Organizing Committee.

Media Accreditation

Media accreditation requests for ISU Championships must be submitted via the ISU Online Media Accreditation System http://www.wingsmedia.it/isu/
Information for the media will be available on the ISU website in due time.
For further information contact the OC Press Officer:
Mr. Toshihiko Nitta
Mobile : +81 90 2202 1021
Fax : +81 3 3481 2350
E mail : info@skatingjapan.or.jp

The Organizing Committee

All entries, hotel reservation and media accreditation requests, as well as other inquiries should be addressed as soon as possible to:

Kishi Memorial Hall 1-1-1, Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-8050, Japan
TEL +81 3 3481 2351 FAX +81 3 3481 2350
e-mail:; entries-st@skatingjapan.or.jp

Web site

All information concerning the competition will be available at the following Event website:
http://www.skatingjapan.jp/
Live results will be available at the following website:
http://shorttrack.sportresult.com/