Training action begins in Buenos Aires

While the delegations from the 206 countries that will compete at the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 settled into the Youth Olympic Village, a number of athletes did not want to waste any time. Soon after dropping off suitcases in their rooms, they crossed the street to the Youth Olympic Park to get familiar with their competition venues and flex their muscles.

It was the first open training day at the Youth Olympic Park, where 12 sports will have their competitions, and there was training action in most of the pavilions.

Athletes from Uzbekistan, Iceland, Italy and Puerto Rico practised at the America Pavilion, where the gymnastics events will take place, while weightlifters from Colombia, Japan and Thailand trained at the Europe Pavilion.

Meanwhile, representatives from the Virgin Islands, Finland, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Monaco made a splash at the Olympic pool, one of the Park’s main attractions. Athletes from the Virgin Islands and Finland also took their first steps around the new athletics track, located in front of the Mary Terán de Weiss Stadium.

The Mary Terán de Weiss Stadium will be used as a training site for combat sports. Boxing rings and tatamis are set up there for practice while the final adjustments are made in the pavilions that will hold the competitions for those disciplines.

Tuesday was a quiet day at this venue. Only a few athletes trained there, including the sole Chilean representative in boxing, Andreus Salgado. On the other hand, the hockey5s fields saw lively action as both Argentine teams - known as Las Leoncitas and the Los Leoncitos - headed there to practise, along with the Canadian and Australian hockey players.

Besides being a zone for multiple sports, the Youth Olympic Park will also host art workshops, mural painting sessions, games and music shows during Games time.