Have you heard about this?
The Youth Olympic Games … 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. …
Each participating country would send at least four athletes. The athlete will be chosen at least 18 months in advance, which suggests that some could be chosen as young as age 12. At least one IOC member criticized the plan …
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. …
Here’s a cute promo video featuring some youth athletes used as part of the successful Singapore bid.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Less cute, but far more informative is this Singapore 2010 Concept Video (3min) also used as part of the bid. Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
I love Singapore. And am confident they will be even better hosts for a big Games than Beijing in 2008.
6th World Congress on Biomechanics
(via Kat on Chalk Bucket)
Now …
Are youth Olympics a good idea?
The whole concept flies against some of the things said by FIG President Bruno Grandi over the past year.
Leave a comment if you have an opinion.
6 comments ↓
I do not think that Olympic Youth Games would be a good idea. Young athletes should be focused on working on basic stuff, allround athletic training and not on high level specialized skills. I know so many very talented kids – who were very successful at the junior level – who burned out too soon. Nearly none of them is still competing at the senior level. And that is a shame. Better not create any new chances for overambitious parents and coaches to let young ones peak too early.
Introducing the YOG, in my opinion would be detrimental to the sport of gymnastics. Way too often we see young girls win or do well at an Olympic Games, and then they quit. Drop off the face of the world, only to reinvent themselves as a singer, for example. Gymnastics has a hard enough time keeping its athletes in the sport, and with the introduction of a YOG, those 14 year olds who probably would have held out until they were 17, will now quit at 14.
In addition, I completely agree with the previous comment about focusing on basic stuff and burn outs.
Gymnastics should be about involving oneself in the sport for life.
I actually think this would be good for our sport. Way too often do we have those 15 year olds who are just a little too young for the Olympics try to hng on for another 4 years to qualify for the Olympics only to suffer injury after injury and are forced to quit otherwise they would be the walking wounded for the rest of their lives.
The YOG would give athletes the opportunity to experience a high level meet (that actually means something) without having to push themselves through another 4 years.
I don’t think that not having such a games stops coaches/parents/athlete from progressing too quickly. Look at what Charolette Mackie, Peng Peng Lee, Shawn Johnson (as a junior), Nastia Liukin (as a junior), Rebecca Bross, etc were/are throwing as juniors.
As long as the rules are the same for juniors and seniors this will never change. I say BRING ON THE GAMES!
Most coaches, overall, feel that some kind of minimum age requirement was good for the sport. That girls were less rushed to add dangerous difficult elements into their routines until they really needed them.
On the down side, some Nations then cheated by falsifying passports. (Marinescu, SilivaÅŸ, etc.) It’s near impossible to completely stop them. (“Age testing”??)
Perhaps a good compromise would be a “Youth Olympics” — BUT with rules that reward Artistry and perfection of basics.
One extreme scenario would be OLYMPIC COMPULSORY ROUTINES ONLY.
… Right. Like that would fly.
But I can dream.
[...] No doubt the addition of Junior FIG Rules would be in anticipation of the Youth Olympic Games – Singapore, 2010. FIG does not normally distribute Junior regs. [...]
This summer the international Olympic Games are going to take place in Beijing China. These games are one of the most popular sports games all over the world and this event is highly attended. I was wondering if I could find a chance to attend because tickets are always expensive in such important events. But a friend has recommended me a site where to compare ticket prices before purchasing. I can look for the cheapest prices offered and see which prices that I can afford.
http://www.ticketwood.com/olympic-sports/Olympics-_-Athletics-Tickets/index.php
Summer Olympics Games Tickets
Leave a Comment