It will be terra nova for the Olympic Movement in 2020, as the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) head to one of two cities that have never previously hosted an edition of the Olympic Games.
Brasov (Romania) and Lausanne (Switzerland)* both submitted their applications to host the 3rd edition of the Winter YOG to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by the 28 November deadline.
IOC President Thomas Bach said: “We are delighted that Brasov and Lausanne are in the running for 2020 and want to bring the spirit of the Youth Olympic Games to their cities. Both candidates have signalled their strong interest in hosting the YOG, and we look forward to receiving each bid’s vision on how these Games can best reach young people and benefit their communities in a sustainable way. It promises to be a close race all the way to the election in 2015.”
The first edition of the Winter YOG was held in Innsbruck in 2012, with the second edition scheduled to take place in Lillehammer in 2016. Innsbruck hosted the 1964 and 1976 Olympic Winter Games, while Lillehammer held the 1994 Olympic Winter Games.
Approximately 1,000 athletes take part in the Winter YOG, which last a maximum of 10 days and are held at a time of year that best suits the sporting calendar and climate of the host region. YOG hosts are encouraged, wherever possible, to use existing venues to stage the Games.
The next deadline in the 2020 bid process is 12 December 2013, the date when Brasov and Lausanne must submit the signed 2020 YOG Candidature Procedure.
* The cities are listed in alphabetical order.
Timeline – 3rd Winter Youth Olympic Games 2020 Bid Process
– Signature of the 2020 YOG Candidature Procedure: 12 December 2013
– Submission of the YOG Candidature File and other documents: 17 June 2014
– Shortlist of YOG Candidate Cities by the IOC Executive Board: 2-3 December 2014
– Report by the IOC Evaluation Commission: April-May 2015
– Election of the Host City of the 3rd Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2020: July/August 2015
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