Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games officially got under way with an Opening Ceremony at the Marina Bay Floating Stadium in downtown Singapore.

With the city skyline providing an impressive backdrop, some 3,600 athletes aged 14 to 18 marched in the Parade of Nations, which was followed by speeches from International Olympic Committee President (IOC) Jacques Rogge and Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee Chairman (SYOGOC) Ser Miang Ng.

“Tonight we open a new chapter in the history of the Olympic Movement,” said President Rogge. “From this moment on, young people around the world have a chance to participate in a global event that combines sport, education and culture.”

The IOC President added that he expected the first-ever Youth Olympic Games, which run from 14 to 26 August, to produce high-level sporting competition within an Olympic environment while at the same time providing the athletes with a platform to learn, share and build friendships through a supporting Culture and Education Programme.

Attending the Opening Ceremony were Singapore Prime Minister Hsien Loong, Coordination Commission Chairman for the 1st Summer Youth Olympic Games Sergey Bubka, and Youth Olympic Games Ambassador Yelena Isinbaeva, among others.

Addressing the athletes, President Rogge said their participation at the Youth Olympic Games would help them “learn the difference between winning and being a champion. To win, you merely have to cross the finish line first. To be a champion, you have to inspire admiration for your character, as well as for your physical talent.”

With sport as a foundation, the Youth Olympic Games will give the young athletes their first taste of the Olympic experience and provide valuable lessons that the athletes can leverage in their future careers, be it in sport or other vocations.

Singapore 2010 will feature some of the world’s most talented young athletes from 205 territories who will take part in the 26 sports currently on the Summer Olympic Programme as well as some exciting new events, including 3-on-3 basketball, head-to-head canoe and kayak, and cycling combined (BMX/mountain bike/road).

The Youth Olympic Games will also introduce for the first time the mixed-gender competition format that will see both boys and girls competing in the same event in sports such as triathlon and swimming, among others.

In addition to competing individually for their National Olympic Committees, the young athletes will also participate on teams made up of different nationalities. The mixed events are meant to strengthen bonds between the athletes and foster better understanding of each other’s cultures and backgrounds.

Jeremy Shew, a 16-year-old from Victoria, Canada, won the prize after being randomly selected from among those who submitted videos to “The Best of Us Challenge”, part of an initiative led by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to engage young people in the Olympic Games by giving them a chance to actually compete with Olympic athletes in an online forum.

Created in collaboration with YouTube, The Best of Us Challenge featured videos of Olympic athletes from around the world performing challenges that the public were encouraged to try and beat. Visitors to the site could also upload their own original challenges for others to try.

Shew entered a video showing him beating Natalie Cook, a beach volleyball player from Australia, at juggling three balls while balancing on a ball.

“I saw it as something that was going to be fun,” Shew said of challenging Cook. “I used to juggle when I was younger so it seemed like a good challenge to try.”

Asked how he felt when he learnt he had won a trip to Singapore, Shew said he was at a loss for words. “I was ecstatic but speechless. I didn’t know what to say,” Shew continued. “It’s a new place, a new experience for me, and I am really looking forward to it.

The athletes who took part were as varied as the challenges themselves, with participants ranging from Vancouver 2010 gold medallist Lindsey Vonn and Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal, to Youth Olympic Games Ambassadors Michael Phelps and Yelena Isinbayeva. Challenges included picking up as many tennis balls as possible in 30 seconds to seeing how far you could walk on your hands.

Since its launch in October 2009, The Best of Us Challenge videos have been viewed over 4 million times, while 40 per cent of the athlete videos have attracted in excess of 100,000 views, placing them in the top 2 per cent of the most-watched YouTube videos of all time. Phelps’ golf-putting video challenge alone has had more than 700,000 views, placing it in the top 1 per cent of most-watched YouTube videos of all time.

The Challenge also received worldwide PR coverage and debuted at number one in Advertising Age magazine’s weekly chart of the most popular viral videos.

Three-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt today became the latest high-profile athlete to sign on as a Youth Olympic Games Ambassador, joining a star-studded list that also includes Olympic champions swimmer Michael Phelps and pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva.

Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter who holds the World and Olympic records in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m-relay events, will encourage young people around the globe to become more active in sport in his role as Ambassador for the Youth Olympic Games, the inaugural edition of which is scheduled to take place from 14 to 26 August in Singapore.

Bolt said: “I know how important it is to have mentors and role models when you are young to help give you focus and dreams to aspire to. I couldn’t be happier to be an Ambassador for the first Youth Olympic Games and to provide inspiration and encouragement to the young athletes participating in Singapore this summer and to kids everywhere.”

IOC President Jacques Rogge said: “We are very pleased that Usain will now join Michael and Yelena as Youth Olympic Games Ambassadors. These athletes are at the very top of their respective sports and they know the importance of having inspirational figures in their lives. Children around the world look up to Usain and it is wonderful that he has decided to motivate young people to become more active by joining the Youth Olympic Games team.”

The mission of the Youth Olympic Games is to inspire young people around the world to participate in sport and adopt and live by the Olympic values. The first edition of the Youth Olympic Games will be held this summer in Singapore, with the first winter edition to take place in Innsbruck, Austria, in 2012.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Vancouver 2010 debrief came to a successful conclusion today in the Russian city of Sochi – the future host of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. The debrief, which is in its sixth edition, brought together a large number of Olympic stakeholders from 7 to 10 June in order to share their experiences and the lessons learnt from the Vancouver Games.

The event was opened by IOC President Jacques Rogge, with the Deputy Prime Minsters of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Kozak and Alexandr Zhukov; Coordination Commission Chairmen René Fasel and Jean-Claude Killy; Organising Committee executives John Furlong and Dmitry Chernyshenko; and athletes Alexander Popov and Ivan Skobrev also addressing the assembled audience. In addition, a number of Russian Government Deputy Ministers participated in the debrief, showing the importance that the host nation is placing in the transfer of knowledge process put in place by the IOC.

Speaking at the close of the event, IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli said he was impressed with both the quality of the discussions that took place and the spirit of teamwork in which they were delivered.

“This is the sixth debrief we have held, and you can really see the positive evolution of the programme over the years,” Felli said. “I was particularly impressed with the openness of the Vancouver organisers and their willingness to share everything with their successors. Sochi has already been able to glean a lot of information from our transfer of knowledge programmes, but the debrief will no doubt have helped to cement the lessons that they learnt while observing the Vancouver Games, and will inspire them to strive for and achieve the very best in four years’ time.”

The IOC debrief is part of a broader transfer-of-knowledge programme initiated by the IOC at the time of the Sydney Games and which is today called Olympic Games Knowledge Management (OGKM). The programme gives future Games hosts access to a vast array of Olympic knowledge built up from previous organisers’ experience, and provides them with the opportunity to participate in observation and secondee programmes.

Representatives of Sochi 2014, London 2012, Rio 2016 and the three applicant cities for 2018 (Munich, Annecy and PyeongChang), took part in the four days of workshops and seminars in the Black Sea resort, which provided a forum for all parties to hold constructive discussions and exchange information that will help them prepare for future Olympic Games.

Sochi 2014 President and CEO Dmitry Chernyshenko said that the event had been incredibly useful for his team.

“Sochi 2014 will be an incredibly creative and innovative Games with a uniquely Russian flavour, while being firmly grounded in Olympic Movement best practice. Working with VANOC has allowed us to enhance our plans to ensure Russia’s first Winter Games is a success,” said Chernyshenko.

The 32 debrief sessions revolved around five general themes — Inspire & Engage, Team-Up & Test, Embrace & Achieve, Experience & Learn and Innovate & Promote — and permitted frank, open, and detailed discussions on all the different services offered to Olympic stakeholders, including athletes, spectators, partners and the media.

The success of the debrief was also thanks to the openness and outstanding cooperation of the members of the Vancouver 2010 team, who attended the debrief led by their CEO, John Furlong. Furlong spoke about how important it was for his team to share their experiences and leave yet another legacy to the Olympic Movement.

“In our long-standing goal of leaving lasting legacies from our Games, this debrief has been a critical element,” said Furlong. “How well we remember that, four short years before our Games, every piece of experienced advice was invaluable. We hope our presentations and discussions this week have been helpful, and we have every confidence that the Sochi 2014 Games will celebrate Russia, the world’s best winter sport athletes and the Olympic Movement. Our IOC and Sochi 2014 hosts have been warm and gracious hosts, and we thank them for giving us an unfettered view into their project over the past week.”

The aim of the debrief is not to provide a standard template for each future host to follow. Rather, it is intended to encourage future hosts to build on the successes of their predecessors while staying true to their own cultures and identities. It does not seek to impose solutions on other Games, but rather to show options and possibilities that up-coming organisers can analyse to see if they fit into their own unique context.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) inaugurated a new sports complex in Lusaka, Zambia, in the presence of IOC President Jacques Rogge, the President of the Republic of Zambia, Rupiah Banda, and some 2,000 people, including 600 youngsters who used the state-of-the-art facilities for the first time.

The Olympic Youth Development Centre in Lusaka is the first of its kind. Its main purpose is to help enhance sports development in Zambia by offering sports competitions and training facilities, but it will also provide a wide range of educational programmes, health services and community activities to athletes and the general public in the region.

The centre is set up as a multi-purpose complex, including outdoor and indoor facilities as well as a number of educational and cultural areas, such as classrooms, a library, an internet zone and offices.

Led by the IOC, the project was undertaken in partnership with the Zambian government, which donated the land to the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Zambia, and the six International Federations (IFs) of athletics, basketball, boxing, weightlifting, handball and hockey, which helped to develop the sports facilities and offered technical expertise as well as financial assistance. The IOC was in charge of the overall construction phase and will, together with the other stakeholders, continue to support the Zambian NOC, which will now look after the running and maintenance of the centre.

“I am very proud to officially open the first Youth Olympic Development Centre here in Lusaka,” said President Rogge in his inauguration speech. “This project would not have seen the light without the unfailing commitment of the government of Zambia, the International and National Sports Federations and the Zambian NOC. Like in sports, teamwork led to this success and I am confident that the centre will become not only the home of many elite regional and international athletes, but also the home of thousands of kids who will learn about sport and life. I look forward to seeing the place grow and inspire us to build similar centres in other regions of the world,” he concluded.

The Olympic Youth Development Centre in Lusaka is part of the Sports for Hope Programme initiated by the IOC to provide athletes, young people and communities in developing countries with better opportunities to practise sport and to be exposed to the Olympic values. Ensuring that every individual has access to sport is one of the fundamental principles of Olympism and the IOC works constantly towards making this vision a reality. The IOC is currently investigating possibilities to replicate the project on other continents.

Celebrations marking 99 days to go until the inaugural Youth Olympic Games were held across the host city of Singapore today, with the Singapore Organising Committee (SYOGOC) enthusiastically proclaiming: “We are ready!”

Thousands turned out to take part in celebratory events ranging from athletic competitions and sports carnivals to fireworks displays as the nation prepares to make history by becoming the first-ever host of the Games for young Olympians from 14-26 August.

The highlight of the day’s activities was the “99-Day Celebration” at *Scape, which was attended by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Education Minister Ng Eng Hen, Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, SYOGOC Chairman Ng Ser Miang and International Olympic Committee Coordination Commission Chairman Sergey Bubka.

The programme for the 99-Day Celebration included the unveiling of the venue-dressing designs and workforce uniforms for the Games, cultural and musical performances, sports activities and a keynote speech from Prime Minister Lee. Some Worldwide Olympic Partners and domestic marketing partners also joined in the celebrations by promoting sports from the summer programme at their countdown booths.

“As we move closer to the start of the Games, I can feel the excitement and buzz in the community growing with each passing day. Many National Olympic Committees and International Federations are finalising their team preparations for Singapore 2010, and I am confident that SYOGOC and the IOC are ready to welcome the world to Singapore for this historic event,” said Ng Ser Miang.

The International Olympic Committee marked the milestone date by releasing a photograph competition on Flickr to capture the spirit of the Youth Olympic Games and by releasing ‘99 seconds’, video interviews with Youth Olympic Games Ambassadors Michael Phelps and Yelena Isinbayeva. The group of 30 Young Ambassadors, nominated by a pilot group of National Olympic Committees, also celebrated ‘99 days to go’ in their regions and communities.

The Coordination Commission concluded its fourth and final visit to the city the same day. SYOGOC is on schedule in its final preparations to deliver the first edition of the Youth Olympic Games.

“With a very strong team and since the beginning of the preparations, the Singapore Organising Committee has worked diligently to ensure the best possible experience for everyone involved,” Bubka said. “Today we can see and feel that the excitement is already there and will continue to build until Games time, especially with the Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame. I speak for the IOC when I say that we are very much looking forward to the Opening Ceremony in 99 days!”

The Youth Olympic Games in Singapore will bring together 3,600 athletes between 14 and 18 years of age from all 205 National Olympic Committees to compete in the 26 sports on the London 2012 Olympic Games programme. A culture and education programme will raise participants’ awareness of the Olympic values and topics such as healthy lifestyles and the fight against doping. A number of communications initiatives will link the youth of the world with the event. A culture programme will ensure a festive atmosphere within the host city.

For more information on the Youth Olympic Games, visit: www.olympic.org/youtholympicgames

The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge,  wrapped up a successful trip to Singapore in the lead-up to the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in August. The trip included a tour of the sports venues, Culture and Education Programme activities, and participation in the seminar organised for the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) that will send athletes to the YOG.

During his three-day visit, the President visited the Youth Olympic Village, Games venues, the Opening and Closing Ceremony location and the Intelligent Transport Systems Centre.  He also took part in the Chefs de Mission seminar, which provided the delegation heads of NOCs with information and advice on how to prepare the athletes who will compete in August.  During his trip, he also devoted time to giving motivational speeches to the staff of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) and local university students.

President Rogge said, “This visit to Singapore has been a fruitful and constructive one, and I am pleased with the way the preparations for the Youth Olympic Games are unfolding. The Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee is doing a great job, and it warms me to see that their enthusiasm for the upcoming Games matches mine. I am looking forward to a superb first edition this August.”

The President was also on hand to launch the Young Ambassador programme, a new initiative that engages 30 young people nominated by their NOCs to help promote the YOG in their regions and communities, and support the athletes before and during the Games as well as during their participation in the Culture and Education Programme (CEP).

Rogge spoke with each of the 30 ambassadors, who range in age from 18 to 28, and the 60 CEP Champions, local representatives who will promote and facilitate the Culture and Education Programme developed by the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee and the IOC.

In addition to paying a courtesy call on Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, President Rogge also met the Singapore National Olympic Council President and Deputy Prime Minister, Teo Chee Hean; the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Vivian Balakrishnan; and other dignitaries.

“We are honoured and privileged to have the President of the IOC visiting Singapore again. We are encouraged by his positive feedback and encouragement.  As we move closer to the opening of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games in August, I would like to invite everyone around the world to start celebrating the inaugural Games with us.  Together with our partners, Singapore is committed to delivering a successful Games – one that is meaningful and memorable,” said SYOGOC Chairman and IOC Vice-President Ng Ser Miang.

The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games will take place from 14 to 26 August.

With fewer than 150 days to go until the first Youth Olympic Games (YOG), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) launched its Young Ambassador Programme in Singapore. The new initiative engages 30 young people nominated by their National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to help promote the YOG in their regions and communities and support the athletes before and during the Games as well as during their participation in the Culture and Education Programme (CEP).

The CEP aims to educate, engage and influence young people in sport and the Olympic values, inspiring them to play an active role in their communities, and the Young Ambassadors will help facilitate this goal. The programme also gives athletes advice on careers in sport, social responsibilities and other lifestyle choices.

The Young Ambassadors are between the ages of 18 and 28, come from a variety of backgrounds — from former Olympians to scholars — and represent countries from Australia to Zimbabwe. Sixty per cent are female.

The Ambassadors are in Singapore to take part in an action-packed week of seminars and workshops in preparation for the inaugural edition of the Youth Olympic Games this August in Singapore. The workshops and forums will focus on societal issues of particular relevance to young people.

Five themes will be targeted: Olympism, skills development, well-being/healthy lifestyle, social responsibility and expression through digital media.

At the Games, the Young Ambassadors will mentor 3,600 athletes ranging in ages from 14-18 on what it means to be an Olympian and how aspiring stars should behave on and off the field of competition.

IOC President Jacques Rogge is in Singapore to attend the Chef de Mission Seminar for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games and met with the Young Ambassadors this morning to discuss their mission.

President Rogge said, “It was a pleasure to meet such an inspirational group of young people who have already achieved so much in their lives. This experience will enrich not only their lives, but also the lives of all the athletes they come into contact with. It is our hope that this goodwill and friendship can in turn find its way back to the communities where they come from.”

“The Young Ambassador programme is a very effective way of reaching out to young people around the world to promote the YOG and the Olympic values. The NOCs have selected very talented individuals and I am looking forward to seeing them in action with their delegation and in their respective communities,” Rogge added.

The Young Ambassador programme is supported by TOP Partner ACER, which has provided each Ambassador with a special Olympic-edition laptop.

Reports of their activities will be updated regularly at www.olympic.org/yog

Working alongside the Young Ambassadors during the Games will be 60 CEP Champions, local representatives who will promote and facilitate the Culture and Education Programme developed by the Singapore 2010 Organising Committee.

IOC Vice-President and SYOGOC Chairman Ser Miang Ng said, “We are delighted to welcome the Young Ambassadors to Singapore. The Young Ambassadors and CEP Champions have an important role to play in the success of the Culture and Education Programme, and we are confident the world class athletes coming will benefit most in Singapore 2010.”

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced the winner of the Youth Olympic Games Medal Design Competition as Setsuko Fukuzawa, from Montreal, Canada, with her design entitled “Yes, Youth Can”. The design will be used to inspire the obverse of the Singapore 2010 medals which will be awarded to the winning athletes from 14 to 26 August 2010.

Setsuko’s design is a contemporary representation of the winged Greek goddess of victory, Nike. The “Y” design symbolises this and also the youthfulness of the Youth Olympic Games. The design includes the Olympic emblem, the rings, to empower athletes to participate and celebrate, and the flame detail reflects both the cheering wave of supporters and the spirit of an athlete.

Setsuko Fukuzawa commented on her design: “I wanted the design to be very clean and modern; for me this means simplicity to deliver a clear message. ‘Yes, Youth Can’ represents every young athlete in a victory stand, celebrating. Simple, but powerful.”

She continued: “It reflects the participants at the Youth Olympic Games: they will face challenges, believe in themselves and go beyond their limits. I wanted to design something that would make winners of this medal remember and feel the moment they won it.  I hope that, from my design, people can feel the energy and excitement.”

Singapore 2010 Organising Committee Chairman, Ser Miang Ng said: “Ms Setsuko Fukuzawa’s ingenious design will harmonise well with the creative design that will be developed on the reverse of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games medals, as we will be taking inspiration from what is representative of Singapore as a young and vibrant nation, as well as the Singapore 2010 ‘Spirit of Youth’ emblem. Our heartiest congratulations go to Ms Setsuko, and we look forward to welcoming her and the rest of the world to Singapore for a memorable Youth Olympic Games experience in August.”

Gilbert Felli, Olympic Games Executive Director, said: “This competition has been a great success. We have received entries from 34 countries whilst engaging with the public through our social media channels. Congratulations to our winner and to all the competition entrants who have contributed to the first Youth Olympic Games. I am looking forward to seeing the medal awarded to the YOG athletes in Singapore this summer!”

From the public voting round, “Yes Youth Can” received 3,881 votes, which took the entry through to the shortlisted 10 Medal Design Competition finalists. The second round of judging was by an IOC jury, which selected Setsuko’s design as the overall winner.

The design can be seen on www.medaldesigncompetition.com.

Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps became the first official Ambassador of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

The 16-time Olympic medallist, who is visiting Vancouver to catch some of the Olympic Winter Games action, will support the Youth Olympic Games by encouraging the involvement of young people around the world.

Michael Phelps said “The Youth Olympic Games is an excellent initiative, not only for the athletes competing, but also those who are inspired to get into sport and be more active. I am delighted that I have been given the opportunity to become the first official Ambassador of the Youth Olympic Games, and can’t wait to get working with the YOG team to promote the first event this summer!”

IOC President Jacques Rogge said “We are delighted that Michael is supporting our efforts to launch the Youth Olympic Games. Preparations for the inaugural edition in Singapore are on track, and the IOC is looking forward to welcoming 3,600 athletes to Singapore this summer!”

The first-ever Youth Olympic Games will be held this summer in Singapore. The mission of the YOG is to inspire young people around the world to participate in sport and adopt and live by the Olympic values.

For more information on the Youth Olympic Games, visit: www.olympic.org/youtholympicgames