INTRODUCTION: Junior alpine ski racing formats often mirror those of elite athletes like Marco Odermatt, but it's questionable whether they are age-appropriate and beneficial for younger competitors. Theodoulides and Armour (2001) note that sports competitions are typically structured by age groups, and many countries invest in youth sports to foster development. Coalter (2007) argues that effective formats should focus on talent and personality development. Building on this, Côté (2016) introduced the concept of "smart competition," which incorporates participation, personality, and performance in line with Lerner's (2003) development theory. METHODS: 13 female ski racers and eight male ski racers (9.3 ± 0.9 years) took part in the pilot study. Using data from Global Navigation Satellite System sensors, both competition formats were analyzed using the parameters: Movement time inside and outside the competition, number of runs, turns taken and personal experience. The data were compared using Student's t-test, Wilcoxon rank test and Cohen's d effect sizes. RESULTS/DISCUSSION: Significant differences were found for active movement time (1), competition time (2), number of runs (3) and curves (4) (p = < .000 (1); < .000 (2); < .000 (3); < .000 (4)). Using a questionnaire on the personal competition experience, a significant difference was found for enjoyment of the competition format (p = .020) with a mean effect size according to Cohen (d = 0.33). CONCLUSION: In the optimized competition format, the active movement time was increased by 180%. The comparison of the development over time showed that the running time over the individual runs was improved in the optimized format. By optimizing the competition format, the examined parameters active movement time, competition time, number of runs and number of curves could be increased. SO WHAT !?! By increasing the active movement time in the competition, young athletes are given more time to be able to ski actively. Individual performance development is promoted by developing over more than just two runs. Furthermore, by increasing the number of runs and turns in the competition, technical skiing skills are promoted. The pilot study serves as the basis for the implication of a new competition format at Swiss-Ski.
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