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Youth Olympic Games is an international multi-sport event for athletes aged 15 to 18 years old.[1] Organized by the International Olympic Committee, the Games are held every four years in staggered summer and winter events consistent with the current Olympic Games format, though in reverse order with the Olympic Winter Games held in leap years instead of the Games of the Olympiad. The first summer version was held in Singapore from 14 to 26 August 2010 while the first winter version was held in Austria from 13 to 22 January 2012.[2]
The idea of such an event was introduced by Johann Rosenzopf from Austria in 1998. On 6 July 2007, International Olympic Committee members at the 119th IOC session in Guatemala City approved the creation of a youth version of the Olympic Games, with the intention of sharing the costs of hosting the event between the IOC and the host city, whereas the travelling costs of athletes and coaches were to be paid by the IOC. These Games will also feature cultural exchange programs and opportunities for participants to meet Olympic athletes.
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 are modelled after these sporting events.[3] The YOG is also a successor to the discontinued World Youth Games.
The Summer Youth Olympic Games of Singapore in 2010 and Nanjing in 2014 each played host to 3600 athletes and lasted 13 days, whereas the Winter YOG of Innsbruck in 2012 had 1059 athletes and Lillehammer in 2016 had 1100 athletes and lasted 10 days. Even though this exceeded initial estimates,[4][5] the YOG are still both smaller in size as well as shorter than their senior equivalents. The most recent Summer YOG was the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games of Buenos Aires. The most recent Winter YOG was the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games of Gangwon, South Korea. The next Summer YOG to take place will be the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics of Dakar, Senegal.
- ^ "No kidding: Teens to get Youth Olympic Games". USA Today. 25 April 2007. Retrieved 19 May 2007.
- ^ "FIS in favor of Youth Olympic Games". FIS. 8 May 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
- ^ "Rogge wants Youth Olympic Games". BBC Sport. 19 March 2007. Retrieved 19 May 2007.
- ^ "IOC to Introduce Youth Olympic Games in 2010". 25 April 2007. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
- ^ "1st Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010" (PDF). International Olympic Committee Department of Communications. 2007. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 November 2007. Retrieved 24 August 2007.