Youth Olympic Games

List of Youth Olympic Games

In early November 2007, Athen(Greece), Bangkok(Thailand), Singapore, Moscow(Russia), and Turin(Italy) were selected by the IOC as the five candidate cities among which the host city will be elected for the Inaugural Games. In January 2008, the candidates were further pared down to just Moscow and Singapore. Finally, on 21 February 2008, Singapore was declared host of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games 2010 via live telecast from Lausanne, Switzerland, winning by a tally of 53 votes to 44 for Moscow. Singapore is contesting all 26 sports.

Youth Olympic Games

(1)The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) are planned to be an international multi-sport event held every four years in staggered summer and winter events complementing the current Olympic Games, and will feature athletes between the ages of 14 and 18. The idea for such an event was envisioned in 2001 by International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge. On July 6, 2007, IOC members at the 119th IOC session in Guatemala City approved the creation of a youth version of the Olympic Games.

(2)The summer version will last at most twelve days, with the first edition taking place in mid-summer of 2010; the winter version will last a maximum of nine days, with the first edition taking place in early 2012. The IOC will allow a maximum of 3,500 athletes and 875 officials to participate at the summer games, while 970 athletes and 580 officials are expected at the winter games.

(3)Several other Olympic events for youth, like the European Youth Olympic Festival held every other year with summer and winter versions, and the Australian Youth Olympic Festival, have proven successful; the Youth Games would most likely be modeled after these. The YOG are a successor to the discontinued World Youth Games.