(ATR) An expanded role in the Olympic Movement could be on tap for the Youth Olympic Games following the next two editions in Buenos Aires and Lausanne.
IOC vice president Ugur Erdener hopes to test innovations at the next two installments in Argentina and Switzerland before debuting a completely revamped version.
Erdener detailed the new approach to the Youth Olympic Games to the IOC Session in Lima, Peru on Sept. 13, outlining five objectives of the revitalized program.
"Increase participation and level of competition, enhance YOG role as incubator for innovation, expand the impact of the YOG, expand the reach of the YOG and bring the YOG to all types of cities," Erdener said before going into detail about each objective.
In order to increase the number of youth athletes in the competition, the IOC will split the competition into two distinct periods, allowing for an increase of approximately 800 athletes while decreasing the number of nights spent in the village and number of beds needed by 400 and 200 respectively.
The process of reforming the YOG into more of an innovation incubator for the Olympics will already begin at Buenos Aires 2018. Argentina organizers will test new Olympic sports that will debut at Tokyo 2020 such as 3x3 basketball and karate while also testing a new type of Opening Ceremony in the heart of the city.
Expanding the impact of the YOG will be a tougher task, as the IOC hopes to create a global calendar of youth sporting events from the continental to international level, where continental youth games would serve as qualifiers for the YOG.
IOC member Richard Peterkin questioned how the IOC will balance the regional sports with a regulated international sports program. Erdener replied that the future program would be the result of a collaborative effort between NOCs and continental associations.
An expanded outreach in digital mediums as well as a reliance on the Olympic Channel to bring youth sport to mainstream audiences will expand the recognition of the YOG. Coupled with efforts to reduce the bidding and hosting costs, these two objectives could allow the YOG to spread around the globe.
The IOC hopes to reduce the total candidature and planning period of the YOG to a maximum of three and a half years. This decrease in bidding and preparation time would reduce costs and potentially broaden the appeal of the YOG for interested cities.
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Written by Kevin Nutley
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