Jacques Rogge’s creation of the European Youth Olympic Festival paved way for IOC’s Youth Olympic Games

Jacques Rogge received the Olympic flag from Innsbruck Mayor Christine Oppitz-Plörer and in turn, passed it to Lillehammer Mayor Espen Johnson, who then handed it to 14-year-old Norwegian cross country skier Mathea Tofte, on a crisp, cold and celebratory night in Innsbruck.

The second Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck, and first to be staged in winter in January 2012, were the last edition that IOC president Rogge would preside over. The YOG were the creation of the Honorary IOC president, who died at the age of 79 on Sunday. The modest but spirited closing of the Innsbruck 2012 YOG was vindication that the ideals and mission behind the Games would continue to attract, influence and inspire teenage athletes for years to come.

Building upon what the inaugural edition in Singapore had accomplished 17 months previous, the Innsbruck YOG provided valuable experience for young athletes worldwide, while establishing an identity as a testing ground for new events and formats. The diverse Culture and Education program added to the IOC’s offering.

“By all measures, the first Winter Youth Olympic Games exceeded expectations and established a solid foundation for future Youth Games,” Rogge said, in Innsbruck. ”They were superbly refreshing Games.”

In front of an enthusiastic audience of about 4,000 gathered in Innsbruck’s downtown Maria-Theresien-Strasse at the closing ceremony of the 10-day competition, Rogge addressed the young athletes: “You are role models for your generation. You have started something special in Innsbruck and no matter what happens in your sports career from this point, all of you are equipped to become future leaders.”

More than 1,000 youth athletes representing 70 countries competed in the 1964 and 1976 Olympic host city. It was a showcase of unproven events including women’s ski jumping, ski halfpipe and snowboard slopestyle, ahead of their inclusion in the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.

“There were so many firsts at these Games, so many incredible moments for the athletes and everyone involved in staging this event,” Rogge said. ”Innsbruck was a terrific continuation of the excellent work done at the first Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010, and it bodes very well for the future of the Youth Olympic Games.”

In Singapore, eight mixed NOC events were established to foster friendships between athletes, yet another innovation of the Youth Olympic Games. More than 3,500 teen-aged athletes representing 204 nations competed across 26 sports in August 2010.

“Singapore was a great success because the Youth Games were embraced by the international federations, the athletes and the IOC itself,” Rogge said, recalling the first edition some years later.

IOC president Thomas Bach honored Rogge, president of the IOC from 2001 until 2013, commending his legacy linked to the Youth Olympic Games.

“He was an accomplished president, helping to modernize and transform the IOC,” Bach said, in a statement after Rogge’s death. “He will be remembered particularly for championing youth sport and for inaugurating the Youth Olympic Games.”

Among Rogge’s primary goals for the YOG were bringing together the world’s talented young athletes, offering an introduction to Olympism, innovating in educating and engaging in the dialogue of the Olympic values. Athlete Ambassadors were invited to the Games to mentor the young competitors.

The Youth Olympic Games concept originated from an Austrian industrial manager Johann Rosenzop, in 1998, in response to concern over growing childhood obesity and diminishing participation of youth in sport. Rogge developed the idea and formally announced plans for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games at the 119th IOC Session in Guatemala City, in July, 2007.

The 1991 European Youth Olympic Festival in Brussels

To Rogge’s credit and further evidence of his dedication to youth athletes of the world, the three-time Olympic sailor from Belgium had the vision to create and establish the inaugural Youth Olympic Festival – then referred to as the European Youth Olympic Days – in Brussels, in 1991.

Then president of the Belgium NOC and European Olympic Committees, Rogge’s European Youth multi-sport event – encompassing more than 2,000 young athletes from 33 European countries competing in nine sports – was a predecessor to the Youth Olympic Games, launched nearly two decades prior to Singapore 2010.

In the same era, the first edition of the X Games – a brand created by cable broadcasting giant ESPN, initially as the Extreme Games - took place in Newport, Rhode Island in 1995. Innovative action sports such as street luge, sky surfing, and wakeboarding immediately captivated audiences, the genesis of a highly successful entity that still flourishes today.

Rogge addressed a question, as to if the success of the X Games were the motivation behind the YOG, meeting with media at the Innsbruck 2012 YOG.

“If I can speak about chronology, we did not wait for the X Games to start thinking about this,” Rogge said of the YOG. “I created the very first European Youth Olympic Festival back in Brussels in 1991, some time before the X Games came to completion.

“We did learn a lot from the quality of events and atmosphere at the X Games and we’re not ashamed to say that.

“We applaud the X Games – it is a very good organization and very creative. And I think a part of the spirit of the X Games also came to the Youth Olympic Games and that’s basically because kids want it and we have to follow what the kids want.”

The Youth Olympic Games move forward

Rogge continued to attend future editions of the Youth Olympic Games after relinquishing his presidency, in September 2013, including Nanjing 2014, as an honored guest of Bach and the IOC.

New sports and formats were once again incorporated, while more than 100 Athlete Ambassadors were invited, including U.S. Open golf champion Michelle Wie, Olympic swimming champion Chad de Clos, and the most decorated Olympian in history, Michael Phelps.

Golf and rugby sevens were featured sports, ahead of golf’s Olympic return and rugby seven’s Olympic debut at Rio 2016.

“I think it is going to be a good test, especially with the young athletes that we are going to have,” Rogge said, prior to the Nanjing Games. “This is the generation that is going to compete in golf in the traditional Games.”

The Honorary IOC president was also present at Buenos Aires 2018, where Dakar, Senegal was awarded the fourth edition of the Summer YOG, marking the first time that an Olympic multi-sport event will be headed to Africa.

The Dakar YOG, initially planned for 2022 has been pushed back to 2026 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The next winter edition of the YOG is scheduled for Gangwon, South Korea, in 2024, taking full advantage of existing venues and infrastructure from the PyeongChang 2018 Games.

Rogge may have best summarized the purpose of his Youth Olympic Games, in the days leading up to Innsbruck 2012.

“We need to rejuvenate the Olympic Movement,” he said. “We need to adapt the Olympic Movement to the wishes and needs of the youth and not stay too conservative.

“I think the Youth Games are the ideal place to experiment with that.”

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