Introduction

The Youth Olympic Games is a multi-sport event for athletes aged 14 – 18. It is intended to be the first Olympic experience for young people and designed to complement the existing Olympic Games. The Youth Olympic Games include separate competitions for summer and winter sports.

The Youth Olympic Games are intended to bring together the world’s best athletes in the spirit of sport. In addition to sport, educational and cultural programmes are an essential part of the Youth Olympic Games.

The demands on the hosts are much smaller for these events than for the Olympic Games. Existing facilities are used and the competitions are held in the host city.

History

The concept of the Youth Olympic Games came from Austrian industrial manager, Johann Rosenzopf, in 1998. In 2007, at the 119th IOC Session in Guatemala, the IOC decided to introduce the youth version of the Olympic Games.

In 2010, the Summer Games were held in Singapore for the first time. Two years later in 2012, the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games were held in Innsbruck. A torch relay is also held in advance of the Youth Games.