The 2026 U.S. Trials will be held March 26-29 at the University of South Carolina Aiken in the USCA Convocation Center, located at 2049 Champions Way in Graniteville, SC 29829. Athletes will be selected to represent the United States at the 2026 IBTF World Freestyle and Rhythmic Twirl Championship and the 2026 Nations Cup Level A Freestyle Team competition, which will be held Aug. 5-9, 2026 in Paris, France.
Attention U.S. Trials coaches and judges – updated fiche for Jr. Freestyle Solo
To help coaches complete the fiche for Freestyle Solos correctly and avoid mistakes, a separate fiche has been created for the junior category. The new junior fiche requires only the 4 aerials. The senior fiche requires the 5 aerials. You can get the updated files here:
Fiche 19 Jan 2026_Junior
Fiche 19 Jan 2026 Senior
For both fiches, it is important to select from the drop-down menu, the “Junior” or “Senior” category and the athlete’s country.
The deadline to submit Freestyle Solo fiches is Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. The deadline to submit changes to the Freestyle Solo fiche is Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. The Fiche must be submitted by athlete’s Primary Coach, who is responsible for Fiche accuracy.
IBTF offered a webinar How to fill out a Fiche. If you could not attend or need a refresher, you can view the “How to fill out the Fiche” PowerPoint here. You can also watch the webinar recording on IBTF TwirlEd, but you must have or create an account on TwirlEd in order to do so.
U.S. Trials entry deadline is Wednesday, Jan. 28
The entry deadline is 11:59p.m. PST on Wednesday, Jan. 28. LATE ENTRIES ARE NOT ACCEPTED. Entries are available on the USTA Member Portal under Events & Courses. Please note: You must have an account on the portal and login in order to access the entry forms. Once you login, click on Events & Courses in the blue bar near the top left of your screen. Then type “U.S. Trials” into the search bar.
When entering an athlete for Freestyle Solo or Rhythmic Twirl, you must be logged in as the athlete. The athlete must also have either the Athlete Under 21 credential, or the Athlete Over 21 credential (which requires them to have passed their background check).
Before submitting entries, please read the 2026 U.S. Trials Manual and the 2026 USA Team Member Manual which are available at no cost on the USTA Member Portal under Documents. Please note: You must have an account on the portal and login in order to access the Document section. Once you login, click on MENU in the top left corner, then on the Documents. Search “Manuals” to find it quickly.
After the entries close, coaches will receive an email with additional information including a link to submit the Freestyle Solo fiches.
2026 U.S. Trials hotels
USA Baton Twirling has partnered with Fastbreak to provide quality accommodations at affordable prices for participants in the 2026 U.S. Trials. Get more information and book your accommodations here:
https://ustwirling.fastbreaktravel.com/Event/8fc9/
If you have already booked a room at a USA Baton Twirling property, you can call the hotel, give them your confirmation number, say you are with USA Baton Twirling Fastbreak and you will get the USA Baton Twirling rate!
Tentative U.S. Trials schedule
Thursday, March 26 – Level A Freestyle Team qualifier
Friday and Saturday, March 27-28 – U.S. Trials
Sunday, March 29 – Team USA / World Tour meeting and athlete critiques
Warmups for the 2026 U.S. Trials
There are no specific warmups required for the U.S. Trials. Athletes may wear a warmup of their choice for the opening and closing ceremonies. Athletes selected for Team U.S.A. will receive warmups from Rebel Athletic, the new official athletic wear supplier of Team U.S.A.
Short Program reminder
Short Program is no longer required for athletes competing in Freestyle Solo under the IBTF New Judging System, which will be used for Freestyle Solo at the 2026 U.S. Trials and the 2026 World Freestyle and Rhythmic Twirl Championship. (Short Program IS required for all Elite level Freestyle athletes competing in USTA’s PreTrials program.)