Innsbruck 2012 Youth Olympic Games

Innsbruck's bid for the event has received the greatest support ever shown for a venue since the establishment of the IOC. Final voting resulted in 84 in favor and 15 against Innsbruck which was thus granted the right to become the first host of the Youth Winter Olympic Games.

 

Innsbruck is currently the only city in the world to host the Olympic fire for the third time. After the Winter Olympics of 1964 and 1976, the fire for the Youth Olympics will be lit from 13th to 22nd January 2012. Organization will be carried out in cooperation with »Olympiaregion Seefeld".

 

About the Innsbruck 2012 Youth Winter Olympic Games:

• 1058 athletes between the ages of 14 and 18,
• cooperation of youth from Innsbruck and Tirol in many exchange programs and meetings with athletes from different continents,
• the young Olympic village provides lodging for 1,660 athletes and their accompanying personnel. The excellent location of the village near the centre of Innsbruck allows for extended efforts to connect the local people with young athletes from around the world.
• Slovenian cross country skier Petra Majdič was selected by the IOC to become one of the athlete role models for Innsbruck 2012. She and other star athletes will share their experience with young Olympians as part of the culture and education programs at the Games. Petra Majdič has thus joined a group of world renowned athletes who supported athletes in Singapore 2010 (Usain Bolt, Sergei Bubka, Yelena Isinbayeva and others).
• Slovenian handball player Lea Medvešek will also travel to Innsbruck 2012 as a young ambassador. Her tasks are for the most part connected to the IOC program for promotion of the Olympic movement and the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and cooperation.

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