The first ever Youth Olympic Games (YOG) will be held in Singapore between 14 and 26 August 2010. That’s 3,600 athletes between 14 and 18 years of age from 205 National Olympic Committees.
Only 1 male and 1 female athlete will compete for each country in individual disciplines.
All 26 sports on the London 2012 Olympic Games programme will be hosted.
Today Nanjing, China was elected to host the second YOG in 2014.
We can be certain that Nanjing event will be massive, China still high on the success of the Beijing Games.
Obviously critics will be vocal that this new event will push young athletes too soon. It flies in the face of Bruno Grandi’s efforts to raise the minimum age of gymnasts competing at World’s and Olympic Championships.
Personally, I’m really looking forward to YOG. If successful, Olympic sports will get a media boost every two years, rather than every four.
5 comments ↓
I doubt the Junior Olympic Games will be anything important. Tennis has Junior Wimbledon and skating has Junior Worlds, but hardly anyone mentions Federer won Junior Wimbledon in 1998 and I don’t think even die hard skating fans remember the guy who beat Evan Lysacek at 2003 Jr. Worlds.
Is it true that this is the only ‘big’ international event available to gymnasts who turn 16 in the year of the Olympics?
They’re not even eligible, it’s for 1995 kids only…
It is really sad how the gymnastics age is so limited. What is also sad is that countries can’t send more than one talented athlete in certain major sports. Certainly there is probably the constraint to limit costs & potential for lack of appropriate staffing…but there are definitely SO MANY referees, officials, judges of major individual sports (gymnastics, fencing, tennis) who no doubt would love this opportunity for their resumes.
It’s an interesting scenario…
[...] first Youth Olympic Games go August 14 – 26, 2010 in Singapore. … The IOC announced yesterday, on March 3, that [...]
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