World Archery President to Lead IOC Youth Olympics Working Group

World Archery President Prof Dr Ugur Erdener has been appointed chair of the International Olympic Committee’s Youth Olympic Games Tripartite Working Group. The members of the diverse group include representatives from the IOC, NOCs, future and past Youth Olympic Games organising committees, OBS, ASOIF and continental Olympic Committees.

Prof Dr Erdener, who is also an IOC Executive Board Member, said: “I am looking forward to working with my colleagues from across the Olympic Movement in this assessment of the Youth Olympic Games.”

Following a recommendation that was part of Olympic Agenda 2020, the working group will discuss potential improvements and adjustments to the overall format of the Games.

The first Youth Olympic Games were held in Singapore in 2010, a winter edition followed in 2012 in Innsbruck, then another summer Games in Nanjing two years later. The Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games recently concluded in Norway.

Archery was featured at both Singapore and Nanjing, where the sport trialled the mixed team format with mixed nationality pairs.

“The first four editions of the Youth Olympic Games were a great success. But nothing is so good that it cannot be made better,” said International Olympic Committee President Dr Thomas Bach.

Buenos Aires hosts the next summer edition of the Youth Olympics in 2018, the Olympic Capital of Lausanne hosts the next winter event in 2020, then the following Games are due to be held in non-Olympic years, starting in 2023.