Glasgow 2018 Partners Pay Tribute to Young People and Pledge to Continue Inspiring a Generation

The key partners in Glasgow’s Bid to host the 2018 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) today paid tribute to the 1.5 million young people who have been involved following the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to award the YOG to Buenos Aires.

Congratulating Buenos Aires on its election, the British Olympic Association (BOA), the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council pledged to continue building on legacy from last summer’s London Games and next year’s Glasgow Commonwealth Games and highlighted the incredible response of the young people of the UK who have shown their enthusiasm for the Olympic Values through the Bid.

Following the election of the Host City at the IOC’s Extraordinary Session in Lausanne, Switzerland the partners congratulated the bid teams from Buenos Aires and Medellin and thanked the IOC for their support throughout the bidding process, which began when Glasgow was selected by the BOA to become the UK’s Candidate City in March 2012.

The three partners that came together in support of Glasgow's bid expressed pride in how the bid helped engage and inspire thousands of young people throughout the UK, and pledged to continue that important work through educational programmes like Get Set and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year.

And in Glasgow, the City Council highlighted the fact the Sighthill community will be transformed 20 years early through a £250 million regeneration project thanks to the fact Glasgow Bid to host the 2018 YOG.

Seb Coe, Chair of the BOA, said: “We extend our congratulations to Buenos Aires on being selected as host for the Youth Olympic Games in 2018. We also congratulate the bid team from Medellin for the quality of its bid and the IOC for the highly professional manner by which the entire bid process has been managed.

"We are of course disappointed that Glasgow didn’t prevail but we will continue to actively promote the Olympic Values and the life-changing benefits of participating in sport to people of every age throughout the UK. The Glasgow bid leaves a very tangible legacy, having engaged with 1.5 million young people in the UK, which means we have 1.5 million potential new young ambassadors for the Olympic Movement and sport. That is something we are very proud of.”

Shona Robison, Scotland’s Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport said: “I would like to congratulate Buenos Aires on what has been an exciting and fair race to become the Host City. We are of course hugely disappointed for everybody involved but I would particularly like to thank all the young people involved in putting together such a truly impressive Bid.

“Even by becoming a shortlisted Candidate City we cemented our reputation as the perfect stage for world-class sporting events - this in itself is something that everyone in Scotland can be hugely proud of.”

Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “I am of course very disappointed that we did not make it through to the end, however I am immensely proud of Glasgow and the Bid we put together. Only a few years ago no one would have believed that Glasgow could have become the UK’s Candidate City for a major Olympic event but the fact that we achieved this is no accident. Glasgow is a top ten world sporting city with a cultural life of international standing and this is why we were able to step up and compete on the global stage with cities from across the world.

“This Bid has achieved so much for the city – not only have tens of thousands of young people used this Bid to express pride in their city and hope for the future through the power of the Olympic Values, but we have brought forward the transformation of the community of Sighthill by 20 years thanks to our plans for a Youth Olympic Village. That should be a source of immense pride to the city and tell us all that Glasgow continues to move in the right direction as we work to grow the economy and help all our young people achieve their true potential.”

Paul Bush, 2018 Bid Director, said: “This Bid gave Glasgow and Scotland the chance to show its excellence and sophistication when it comes to staging world-class events. It is of course disappointing not to win but this was one of the toughest Olympic races of recent times and nothing can take away from the excellent technical and visionary Bid put together by all the partners.

“I would like to pay particular tribute to all the young people who were at the heart of this Bid from the beginning and who embraced it as their own. They should take immense pride in their achievements and use this journey as the catalyst for further success for themselves and for their city and country.”

For more information contact: Michelle McGinty, Glasgow 2018, michelle.mcginty@glasgow2018.com, 030 2014 0903

John Egan, Glasgow 2018, john.egan@glasgow.gov.uk 07584217858

Miriam Wilkens, BOA miriam.wilkens@teamGB.com 0207 842 5720

Chris Starrs, Glasgow City Council chris.starrs@glasgow.gov.uk 0141 287 5742

Emma Innocent, Scottish Government emma.innocent@scotland.gsi.gov.uk 0131 244 2024

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