Argentinian athletes get a taste of Buenos Aires 2018
Over 530 athletes, 130 coaches and 100 volunteers gathered in the Argentinian capital last week to take part in a 10-day sport and educational camp as part of a nationwide talent selection programme and test event for Buenos Aires 2018.
The Campus 2018 training camp was held at CeNARD, the national high performance sports centre of Argentina, and was a culmination of work by ENARD (the national high performance sports body), the National Secretary of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation, the Argentine Olympic Committee and the Buenos Aires 2018 Organising Committee.
The 530 athletes were selected from a nationwide talent search that has been running since 2014 and has tested over 700,000 young athletes in an effort to boost competitive sports in Argentina, using the chance of participation at the forthcoming Youth Olympic Games as motivation. The objective of this 10-day event was to contribute to the training of the athletes in 29 sports as they make their journey to Buenos Aires 2018 while testing many of the cultural and educational activities and providing valuable feedback for the local organisers as they fine-tune the athletes’ YOG experience.
In addition to the sports competitions, the athletes also enjoyed talks with sporting legends such as rugby player Agustin Pichot and footballer Juan Sebastián Verón; educational activities on topics such as Olympism, anti-doping, healthy lifestyles and nutrition, teambuilding and career advice; and coaching sessions from top national and international experts.
With Buenos Aires 2018 gaining support from all levels of government, the athletes also had a visit from President Mauricio Macri, who encouraged them to keep training hard to make their dream of representing Argentina on an Olympic level a reality.
For more information on Buenos Aires 2018, visit www.buenosaires2018.com