The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says as many as 17 countries have expressed interest in hosting the Youth Olympic Games, including the United States and others from Africa and Latin America.
IOC Executive Director Gilbert Felli said Saturday that an African and Latin American country, as well as “some cities in the United States” have expressed interest in hosting the Games in 2018 and beyond, but he would not name them, reports the Associated Press.
Felli said, “we have had discussions with the USOC and some cities in the U.S. who have the idea for the Winter or Summer Games. One day they would like to come with a bid”.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams said the IOC is emphasizing the use of existing facilities to make the event more attractive to cities with smaller budgets.
He said, “it gives them a chance to participate, to take part in the whole Olympic Games. That is why there is interest from cities which would probably never have thought of getting involved and could never see themselves as serious contenders for staging an Olympic event”.
IOC President Jacques Rogge praised the Singapore Games as it reaches the halfway point. He said in a statement, “so far everything is going smoothly and we’ve been very pleased with the organization, the competition and the non-sport activities. While it is impossible to provide a full assessment of the Games until after they’re over, so far we are very satisfied”.
The inaugural Youth Winter Games are being held in Innsbruck Austria in 2012, and the Summer Games in Nanjing China in 2014.
Innsbruck organizers said the Singapore Games have given them confidence. Peter Bayer, chief executive of Innsbruck 2012 said, “it’s take some pressure off us because now we know it can work”.
The 2012 Youth Games will have 1,050 athletes from 70 countries participating.
