IOC concludes successful third visit to Innsbruck With just over one year until the inaugural Youth Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck, preparation in the Austrian city is well underway and looking to provide an outstanding development opportunity for talented young New Zealand athletes. The International Olympic Committee (IOC)s Coordination Commission for the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck 2012 has just finished its third visit to the Austrian host city, following three days of meetings. The games open in January 2011 and the Innsbruck Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (IYOGOC) remains on track as it makes the transition from strategic planning to the operational phase of its preparations. Barry Maister Secretary General for the New Zealand Olympic Committee says What we learned from the Summer YOG is that this event is a serious international competition, and athletes will need to have achieved to a good international level to both qualify and be selected. They will also need to commit to the culture and education programme which is an integral part of the YOG." Innsbruck will do it well. It will be a unique experience for our young winter athletes Headed by Chairman Gian-Franco Kasper, the IOC Coordination Commission received presentations on all functional areas. The IOC was impressed with the progress made on the Youth Olympic Village, which is well ahead of schedule. During Games time, the Village will accommodate approximately 1,660 athletes and officials from 13 to 22 January 2012. The Village, one of the legacies of the Youth Olympic Games, will be used as affordable housing after the Games have concluded. The Commission was pleased to note that all permanent construction work is well on schedule for completion. This includes the new ski jump platform and biathlon facilities in the Seefeld area that have already been finalised, strengthening the regions position as a centre of Nordic sports. One of the unique elements of the Youth Olympic Games is the balance of high-level sport with a Culture and Education Programme (CEP). The CEP was considered a resounding success in Singapore 2010, and the programme will be continued in Innsbruck 2012. The Commission today validated Innsbrucks proposed CEP, which will feature interactive initiatives for all participants of Innsbruck 2012. The programme will enable athletes to learn new skills, experience different cultures and cover key topics such as the benefits of healthy lifestyles, the dangers of doping, and the values of friendship, solidarity and fair play. Communication and promotion of the Youth Olympic Games is well under way, with several successful digital media initiatives launched to target young people, as well as a significant increase in users on IYOGOC and IOCs social media channels. A comprehensive promotional campaign in conjunction with the IOC and International Federations will leverage key events this winter to raise the profile of Innsbruck 2012. In just over one month, Innsbruck 2012 will celebrate its one-year countdown, and will take the opportunity to present a number of engaging initiatives and events to mark the milestone. Commenting on the visit, Gian-Franco Kasper said: Innsbruck 2012 has made great progress over the past six months and has effectively taken on board the lessons learnt in Singapore. IYOGOC has made several key appointments to support its team as it moves into operational planning. The Commission continues to be impressed by the creativity and energy from this small dynamic team and is confident that the hard work will continue in the crucial year ahead to deliver a successful first Winter Youth Olympic Games.
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