MEDIA RELEASE: 6 May 2010

Youth Olympic Games marks countdown milestone

Friday 7 May marks 99 days to go until the Opening Ceremony of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

The Games will be held from 14 to 26 August 2010 and will bring together approximately 3,600 talented young athletes aged between 14 and 18 from across the globe.

Australia anticipates sending a full contingent of 100 athletes comprising 70 athletes in individual sports and 30 athletes in two team sports (men’s hockey and women’s handball).

“The athletes who have to date been nominated to the AOC form part of a long and exciting list of names headed to Singapore in August,” Games Chef de Mission Nick Green said.

“In athletics there is 15-year-old Liz Parnov. Liz comes from a rich pedigree of pole vaulters including her sister Vicky, father Alex and aunt Tatiana Grigorieva. Leading the charge for the swim team will be freestyler Emma McKeon. Emma’s recent haul of four gold and two silver medals at the Australian Age Championships will mean the country will be watching her closely.”

Athletes have been nominated from eight sports including hockey, athletics, swimming and rowing. Selections are anticipated to roll out over the next week. Of these nominated athletes, nearly half competed in the 2009 Australian Youth Olympic Festival (AYOF), an initiative of the Australian Olympic Committee.

“As we have seen from the AYOFs in the past, these youth events provide a transition for young athletes to become household names in Australian sport,” Green said.

“Eamon Sullivan, Jess Schipper and Emma Snowsill are just a few examples of Australian athletes who made their mark at a Festival and are now Olympic medallists.

“We are confident in sending our strongest team possible to the Games, and that we will show the world the high calibre of young Australian athletes and give Australia a taste of the up and coming stars of Australian sport.”

The final 2010 Australian Youth Olympic Team will be announced by the end of July with representation expected across 23 Summer Olympic sports.