As soon as the 3,573-kilometer (2,220-mile) torch relay
within Austria reaches its final destination on Friday to deliver the flame,
Innsbruck will officially become the first city to welcome the Olympic family
for a third time.
Innsbruck hosted the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics and, with
virtually all required infrastructure in place, was an easy choice to stage the
first junior edition for athletes aged 15-18.
To set up the event, organizers have spent €23.7 million
($30 million) — almost 10 times less than the costs for the 2010 Summer Youth
Olympics in Singapore.
"The International Olympic Committee is pleased with
our preparations," Peter Bayer, CEO of the local organizing committee,
told Austrian broadcaster ORF. "We know that, if nothing extraordinary
happens, we will keep to this budget." Heavy snowfall over the past week
hampered final preparations, but Innsbruck is ready, Bayer said.
Some venues have been reconstructed and a new Olympic
village, consisting of 13 units with a total of 444 apartments, has been built
to house the 1,059 athletes from 70 countries.
The 10-day action will feature 63 medal competitions — 14 of
which are making their debut at an Olympic event.
Some sports, like snowboard slope style and ski half-pipe, are
altogether new to the Olympics. Others are known sports in a new format with
teams of mixed genders and nationalities competing, underlining the event's
values of respect and friendship.
"Youth Olympics are not about winning as many medals as
you can," Austrian Olympic Committee President Karl Stoss said. "It's
all about team spirit and learning to know each other. These young people will
gather valuable experiences." Austria brings the largest team with 80
competitors, followed by Russia with 68, the United States with 58 and Germany
with 55.
"We have athletes in 62 of the 63 competitions and only
skip figure skating for pairs," Stoss said. "As hosts, we have to be
omnipresent. We will present ourselves as a proud sports nation." Pride is
inextricably connected to the games, said two-time Olympic ski champion
Michaela Dorfmeister, who visited the Austrian team during its final
preparations last weekend.
"Be proud to represent Austria at such an event,"
Dorfmeister told the young athletes. "Just focus on your own
performance." Dorfmeister, who won the downhill and super-G titles at the
2006 Turin Games, asked the entire Austrian team to sign her T-shirt "so I
will already have your autograph in case you become an Olympic champion." Apart
from the sports competitions, athletes team up with local youth to take part in
a cultural and educational program, which includes projects and workshops on
healthy living, anti-doping and sustainability.
This program is aiming to support young people in their
personal and sporting development and to raise their interest in the Olympic
values.
The Youth Games will also offer an outlook on this year's
London Olympics, with sponsors McDonald's and Procter & Gamble expected to
make announcements on their respective future involvement in the Olympic
movement.
Also during the event in Innsbruck, IOC and US Olympic
Committee representatives will hold talks over the sharing of revenue from US
networks' broadcast rights and global sponsorship deals in an attempt to settle
their long-term dispute on the issue.
