15 reasons why we love Buenos Aires 2018: No.15 – The athletes!
In the final part of our countdown to the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Buenos Aires 2018, we salute the most important people of all – the young athletes who will be taking centre stage this October…
With less than a month to go until the Opening Ceremony, the world’s best young athletes are currently making their final preparations for the 3rd Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.
From 6 to 18 October, the Argentinian capital will play host to 4,000 athletes aged 15 to 18, who will compete for 1,250 medals in 32 different sports.
For some of those taking part, this will be the beginning of a journey that will take them all the way to the top of the podium at the Olympic Games. For others, Buenos Aires 2018 may be the pinnacle of their sporting careers. But for each and every one of them, competing at the YOG will be an experience they will never forget.
And whether they win or not, it will also ensure their place in Olympic history, with Buenos Aires 2018 being the first time that equal numbers of women and men compete at an Olympic event.
In addition to giving these young athletes the chance to compete in a major international multi-sports event, the YOG also provide an opportunity to mix with fellow athletes from other sports, nations and backgrounds, enabling them to learn valuable life experiences that will help them develop both on and off the field of play.
Throughout the Games, they will all be living together in the Youth Olympic Village, which will become a melting pot of languages and cultures as the young athletes share meals, make friends and take part in the array of unique cultural and educational activities on offer.
So whether or not they follow in the footsteps of former Youth Olympians like Chad le Clos, Robeisy Ramirez and Jade Jones – who have all gone on to become Olympic champions – those lucky enough to compete at the YOG Buenos Aires 2018 are sure to create memories that last a lifetime.