ISU Junior Grand Prix in Germany

The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (JGP) was established by the International Skating Union (ISU) 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.^[1]

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 (for single skaters), 21 (for men and women in ice dance and women in pair skating), or 23 (for men in pair skating).^[2] 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.^[3]

The Blue Swords Cup was first held in 1961 in Dresden in what was then East Germany. The competition was originally called the DELV-Pokal (Deutscher Eislauf-Verband-Pokal; Cup of the German Figure Skating Club).^[4] In 1968, Meissen Porcelain assumed sponsorship of the competition and the name was changed to the Blue Swords Cup. The name refers to the crossed swords logo of Meissen Porcelain, who sculpted the trophies awarded to the champions in addition to sponsoring the event.^[5] The Blue Swords Cup was held regularly between 1961 and 1996. It began as a senior-level event, but in 1984, the Ice Skating Association of East Germany reset the competition for junior-level skaters only.^[6] Banking on the fact that most junior-level skaters had few opportunities to compete internationally prior to the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, the East German federation hoped this change would drive participation in their event.^[7] 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, while 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.^[8] This event has been held numerous times since; its most recent iteration was in 2016 in Dresden.^[9]