At the Michael Seamon Junior USBC, which ended on December 31, the USBF selected teams for the 2023 World Youth Bridge Team Championship: 2 teams for the Under 26 event, 2 teams for the Under 21 event, and one team for the Rona (young women under 26) event. The tournament would also have selected one team for the U16 event, but only one team entered in that division, so the Junior Committee has recommended to the USBF Board that they be approved. Several of the teams have fewer than 6 players and will augment to 6 and also choose non-playing captains before the USBF Board approves all of them.

U26 Teams

USA1: (in photo order): Ben Kristensen, Zach Grossack, Finn Kolesnik, Emma Kolesnik, Jacob Freeman, Kevin Rosenberg. Jacob Freeman has been replaced for the WYBTC by Noah Apteker.

USA2 (in photo order): Stella Wan, Cynthia Huang, Brent Xiao, Richard Jeng, Cornelius Duffie, Amber Lin

 U21 Teams

USA1 (In photo order): BoHan (Bruce) Zhu, Harrison Luba, Michael Xu, Olivia Schireson

USA2 (in photo order): Jonathan Yue, Rory Xiao, Arthur Zhou, Michael Hu

Rona (women Under 26) team

USA (in photo order): Margot Donnellan, Ava Donnellan, Helena Hsieh, Jessie Cai

U16 TEam

USA (in photo order): Brian Zhang, Andrew Chen, Jeff Xiao, Eric Xiao, and Charlie Chen

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU AND GOOD LUCK IN THE 2023 WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Last year, when we qualified eight teams for the face to face stages of the USBCs, we were unhappy that we needed to have the USA2 Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches be only 1 day long each. Not surprisingly, many of the players were also unhappy with that - we all prefer longer matches. Thinking about next year's Mixed and Senior USBCs and discussing with several very helpful players, we finally came up with a format that adds only one day to each event and extends the USA2 Quarterfinal and Semifinal to 1-1/2 days (90 boards) each. Here's what it looks like:

• Days 1 & 2 are the USA1 Quarterfinal KO. The winners advance to the USA1 Semifinal, the losers drop into USA2.
• Days 3 & 4 are the USA1 Semifinal and USA2 Stage 1. Both are 4 team KO's.
• Day 5 and half of day 6 is the start of the USA1 Final, and all of the USA2 Quarterfinal, which has 4 teams.
• The second half of day 6 is the end of the USA1 Final, and the start of the USA2 Semifinal (2 teams).
• Day 7 is a rest day for the losing USA1 Finalist, unless both USA1 Finalists choose instead to spread the 8 segments of the Final over 3 days; and the end of the USA2 Semifinal.
• Days 8 & 9 are the USA2 Final.

Changing the Mixed and Senior USBCs to this format means that the Mixed will end one day later than was previously scheduled, and the Seniors will start one day later and end 2 days later than previously scheduled. The dates and format of the Open and Women's are unchanged. Here's the revised calendar for all 4 events: