. world ski news : Innsbruck to host first Winter Youth Games in 2012 - 13 December 2008 - 12:31
LAUSANNE, Switzerland—The Austrian city of Innsbruck was awarded the inaugural Winter Youth Games in 2012 on Friday, becoming an Olympic host for the third time. Innsbruck, which staged the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics, defeated the Finnish candidate of Kuopio 84-15 in a ballot by International Olympic Committee members.
"This is a good decision in that it was obviously the best bid," IOC president Jacques Rogge said after announcing the winner. "Innsbruck has lots of assets—the capacity of the city, the experience of the people. It's an icon of winter sports."
Another Austria resort, Salzburg, had failed in bids for the 2006 and 2014 Winter Olympics.
"It's something nice for Austria," Rogge said. "They bid twice for Salzburg and now they are getting Innsbruck. I think this is good."
The Youth Games, a 10-day event, will feature about 1,000 athletes aged 14-18 competing in seven sports—skiing, ice hockey, biathlon, bobsled, curling, luge and figure skating.
Innsbruck had been the favorite after receiving the best rating in an IOC evaluation report, which said the Austrian bid offered "minimal risk" with a budget of $22.5 million.
"This is a great day for Austria and a great day for all winter sports fans," Austrian Olympic Committee president Leo Wallner said in a statement. "More importantly, it is a great day for the future generations of young athletes who are dreaming of becoming winter Olympians."
The evaluation panel raised concerns about Innsbruck's ability to build an athletes' village on time. The city now has a backup plan of renting rooms in local hotels.
Kuopio would have been a first-time Olympic host. Its organizing budget of $13.9 million was judged "extremely low," and coupled with limited guarantees from the city and national government, presented "some risk" to the IOC, the evaluation report said.
The Youth Olympics is a personal project of Rogge, who is seeking to combat youth obesity and encourage young people to participate in sport.
The first Summer Youth Olympics will be held in Singapore in 2010.
Rogge will appoint a coordination commission to work with Innsbruck organizers over the next three years.
"We are very aware that this is a very short period, but we are extremely confident that Innsbruck can match the expectations of both the IOC and the athletes," Rogge said.
By STEPHEN WILSON AP Sports Writer
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