Glasgow and Buenos Aires, two of the cities shortlisted as Candidate Cities for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games (YOG), welcomed the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision Wednesday.
More than 100 young people gathered in Glasgow’s Central Station, the city’s main rail terminal, for a contemporary dance flash mob to celebrate the news, calling on the UK public to back the bid to bring the 2018 YOG to Glasgow.
Olympic athletes and politicians also hailed the decision and pledged to continue to work to win the vote in July.
The bid team, a partnership between the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and the BOA, pledged to continue the journey started by London 2012 for the UK and the Olympic Movement, and seize a historic opportunity for a guaranteed legacy from last summer’s Games.
Sir Craig Reedie, Vice President of the IOC said, “this is a proud moment for me as a Scot and a Glaswegian. To have my home city shortlisted is a tremendous honour.
“With London 2012 our vision and our promise was to inspire a generation. What a unique opportunity we now have with a city that has both the facilities and the expertise to concentrate on the vision of the Youth Olympic Games and to give back to the youth of the world. From day one we promise to work in partnership with the Olympic family to reach out to young people across the globe”.
Seb Coe, Chairman of the BOA added, “it is an honour to have Glasgow shortlisted to host the YOG in 2018. London 2012 inspired young people like never before and there is now a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the UK to take the next step on the Olympic journey to empower young people globally”.
Meanwhile, the Buenos Aires 2018 bid committee welcomed the publication of the IOC Working Group report on the Candidate Cities. The report included a number of positive remarks about Buenos Aires 2018’s plan.
The Working Group’s report stated that Buenos Aires’s project to host the 2018 Youth Games presents minimal risk to the IOC, Argentina has experience in providing security for major sports and cultural events, and all guarantees requested have been provided and are clear and of good quality.
Francisco Irarrazavel, Buenos Aires Under-Secretary of Sport and Chief Executive of Buenos Aires 2018, said from Lausanne where the announcement was made by the IOC, “we are honoured and delighted to be shortlisted and look forward to sharing our full Games vision with the Olympic Family over the remaining few months of the campaign.
“We feel that the IOC have given us a vote of confidence in our ability to stage the 2018 Youth Olympic Games and we will now fully digest the Working Group’s report and explore how we can make our proposal even stronger.
“Over recent months we have developed a tailor-made plan that we believe fits perfectly with the needs of the athletes and what is needed to deliver a very special sporting, cultural and educational experience.”
