The First Youth Olympic Games

by Jodie Bakewell-White

YNZ is seeking expressions of interest from sailors who are interested in competing at this event. The first Youth Olympic Games will be hosted by Singapore from 14-24 August, 2010 and will feature all the sports on the programme for the 2012 Olympic Games, but with a more limited number of disciplines and events.

The Youth Olympic Games will gather approximately 3,200 athletes and 800 officials. The sailing competition will feature 100 young sailors aged between 15-16 years in four sailing events: one person dinghy men; one person dinghy women; windsurfing men; and windsurfing women.

Alongside the competition and sporting aspect of the Games, there will be compulsory educational programmes on the Olympic values, the benefits of sport for a healthy lifestyle, the social values sport can deliver and the dangers of doping and of training to excess and/or of inactivity.

Youth Olympic Games Events Equipment
One person dinghy girls - Byte CII
One person dinghy boys - Byte CII
Windsurfing girls - Techno 293
Windsurfing boys - Techno 293

Please note:
Sailors must be 15-16 years of age, (born between 1 January 1994 & 31 December 1995)
The event is “user pays”. NZOC is seeking commercial sponsorship but there is no guarantee that sponsorship will be forthcoming. YNZ has no funding allocated for this event.

There is a country qualification process that sailors will need to excel in to qualify the country and be selected. Sailors have to be “medal capable” to be nominated by YNZ.

If you are interested in competing in this event and you fit within the age limits please contact Leslie Egnot leslie@yachtingnz.org.nz or mobile 0274 388 246 for more details and to register your interest.

Yachting New Zealand