Argentina to Host First Gender Equal Games

(ATR) Argentina will officially begin the first Youth Olympics held in the Americas on October 6, 2018 when the cauldron is lit during the Opening Ceremony. But the firsts do not end there.

From the organization of the ‘Torch Tour’ to the events that will be held and the number of athletes in each event, the Buenos Aires 2018 Organizing Committee is straying from the norms of multi-sport events and forging a new path.

Organizers tell Around the Rings the Games will be the first edition of an Olympics to be completely gender equal, a step towards gender parity that has been sought since women were first allowed to compete in the second Olympic Games in France in 1900.

The 2018 Summer YOG will also feature new sports like its big brother Tokyo 2020, yet it will not have the exact lineup that Tokyo is introducing. Athletes will compete in karate and sport climbing in Buenos Aires and Tokyo but baseball/softball, skateboarding and surfing were left off the YOG program.

Instead, youth athletes will compete in sports that "have a wide audience reach among youth" such as 3x3 basketball, beach handball, dance sport (break dancing), futsal and roller speed skating, according to organizers. There are 32 sports on the program.

"The sports added to the event program of Buenos Aires 2018 will add great value in terms of youth engagement and innovation to the Youth Olympic Games," a BA 2018 spokesperson tells ATR.

"Besides, they all are popular worldwide and they are expected to have a positive impact in a whole generation by giving educational value to young people who will shoulder the future, as well as boost the cultural value of the YOG."

There has been speculation that surfing and skateboarding could be added to the program as a test run for the Tokyo Games. However, BA 2018 organizers say to temper expectations.

"No new sports are planned to be added to the program but you never know what can arise," a spokesperson tells ATR.

The International Olympic Committee is also demonstrating its flexibility with Argentinean organizers. The IOC Executive Board approved a proposal from Buenos Aires 2018 to move the dates of the Games from beginning on the final day of September to Oct. 6 so that the event could include two weekends and a fitting national holiday in the spirit of Olympism – Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity on Oct. 12.

"The decision was taken, inspired by the Mission of Buenos Aires 2018, to ‘bring sport, culture and education to young people’ and with the objective of improving the local and worldwide communities’ possibility of attending sports competitions and participating in the recreative and cultural proposals," the spokesperson tells ATR.

Organizers say that preparations for the event are on time and on budget with the Youth Olympic Village expected to be completed by the end of 2017. Other upcoming milestones for organizers include the creation of the sports pictograms for the Games and launch of the mascot design contest.

There are no official plans yet for the One Year to Go ceremony on Oct. 6 but organizers say their proposal is currently in the hands of the IOC for approval.

The Buenos Aires 2018 YOG will be held from Oct. 6 through Oct. 18.

Click here to read this article in Spanish.

Reported by Kevin Nutley

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