Winter Youth Olympic Games
Due to increased demand for more youth winter games, along with the tremendous response of the first ever youth Summer Olympic Games which will be held in Singapore later this year, the International Olympic Committee has decided to hold a Youth Winter Olympics. The first ever Youth Winter Olympics Games is scheduled to take place in Innsbruck, Austria.
IOC President Jacques Rogue announced the decision in December 2009, and stated that the Austrian location beat out the Kuopio, Finland location by a large margin of votes. The decision to host a Youth Winter Olympics was based on the IOC’s determination to promote greater sportsmanship and athleticism in young people around the world.
7 Winter Youth Olympic Games
The 2012 Winter Youth Olympics will feature seven different athletic events, based on the same structure of the 2010 Winter Olympics Vancouver, including biathlon, bobsled, curling, hockey, luge, and skiing competitions. All competitors in youth Olympic events are top athletes from all over the world ranging in ages from 14 to 18, and ineligible for regular Olympic competitions. According to the IOC, there are expected to be 1,000 initial contestants competing in the 2012 Youth Winter Olympic games.
