Skaters from all ISU member nations were eligible for the competition if they were at least 13 years old but not 19—or 21 for male pair skaters and ice dancers—before 1 July 2016 in their place of birth. National associations select their entries according to their own criteria but the ISU mandates that their selections achieve a minimum technical elements score (TES) at an international event prior to the World Junior Championships.
The term "Junior" in ISU competition refers to age, not skill level. Skaters may remain age-eligible for Junior Worlds even after competing nationally and internationally at the senior level. At junior events, the ISU requires that all programs conform to junior-specific rules regarding program length, jumping passes, types of elements, etc.
Some member nations announced their selections in January or early February 2017. The International Skating Union published the full list of entries on 24 February 2017.
Vincent Zhou set a new junior world record for the free skating (179.24 points) and for the combined total (258.11 points). Daniel Samohin set a new junior world record for the free skating (165.63 points) but the record was later broken by Zhou.[1]
Alexandrovskaya/Windsor won Australia's first Junior Worlds medal in 41 years — since 1976, when Elizabeth Cain / Peter Cain took the pairs' bronze medal. They also became the first skaters representing Australia to receive gold at an ISU Figure Skating Championships.
Rachel and Michael Parsons set a new junior world record for the free dance (97.54 points) and for the combined total (164.83 points). Alla Loboda and Pavel Drozd set a new junior world record for the combined total (164.37 points) but the record was later broken by Parsons/Parsons.[2]
