A delegation from the IOC travelled to Nanjing for the first time since the election in Vancouver last February of the host city for the second Youth Olympic Games. The pupose of the visit was to meet the newly formed Organising Committee (NYOGOC) and hold an orientation seminar to introduce the Youth Olympic Games product.

Led by IOC Coordination Commission Chairman, IOC Athletes’ Commission member and multi-Olympic champion and medallist Alexander Popov, the group from the IOC administration shared a number of key principles and functional information with the NYOGOC as well as the experience gained from the first edition of the Youth Olympic Games, which will be held in Singapore this August. 

During the seminar, the IOC also had the opportunity to visit a number of competition venues included in Nanjing’s project to host the Youth Olympic Games.

Speaking after the seminar, Popov said, “The Youth Olympic Games project is still in a development phase and needs a strong and experienced team to ensure the successful delivery of the second summer edition. We have had very fruitful meetings here in Nanjing and are confident that the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games are in very good hands. We were also impressed by the quality of the competition venues proposed in Nanjing’s project, which are a legacy of the Chinese National Games that were held in Nanjing in 2005, and we believe these will constitute a solid foundation for the preparation of the Youth Olympic Games.”

The newly appointed President of NYOGOC and Governor of Jiangsu Province,  Luo Zhijun, observed that “Jiangsu is a strong province in terms of sports, culture and education in China, and the provincial government will do its utmost to support Nanjing for a successful YOG in 2014.”

Based on the information provided by the IOC this week, NYOGOC will continue to move forward with the Foundation Planning phase, during which the vision of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games will be confirmed and the general framework for all subsequent planning will be defined. A delegation from Nanjing will also take part in the IOC observer program in Singapore in August to gain a better understanding of the Youth Olympic Games.

Following the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, the IOC President, accompanied by the Chairman of the Coordination Commission, will travel to Nanjing to meet the Organising Committee and local government representatives as well as visit the facilities proposed for the Youth Olympic Games. The first visit of the IOC Coordination Commission will take place in January 2011 in conjunction with the official debrief of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games.

IOC