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OLYMPIC FLAG RAISED IN BUENOS AIRESThe Olympic flag has been raised in Buenos Aires, as the Argentine city continues its preparations ahead of hosting the Youth Olympic Games in 2018.City and government representatives were joined by many of Argentina’s gold medallists from the Olympic Games Rio 2016, as well as IOC Member Gerardo Werthein and more than 200 local schoolchildren for the flag-raising ceremony, which was held in front of Buenos Aires’ most famous monument, El Obelisco (The Obelisk).Among the Olympic gold medallists in attendance were Paula Pareto (judo), Santiago Lange and Cecilia Carranza Saroli (sailing), and Pedro and Isidoro Ibarra (hockey).Speaking at the ceremony, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, the Head of Government in Buenos Aires, declared: “Having the Olympic flag hoisted beside The Obelisk is a feeling of great pride and also of great responsibility. I am convinced that everything will go well.”Above Olympic judo champion Paula Pareto takes a selfie with Buenos Aires schoolchildrenFormer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) athletes enjoyed record-breaking results at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, winning 80 medals between them – with the impressive haul including 19 gold, 33 silver and 28 bronze medals. Two-thirds of YOG medallists had competed in Singapore in 2010, while the remainder took part in the YOG Nanjing 2014.Australia led the way, with swimmers Emma McKeon and Kyle Chalmers contributing seven of nine medals won by Australian YOG prodigies in the pool, while Jessica Fox also added a bronze in canoe slalom – her second Olympic medal after her silver at London 2012. They were followed by Russia with seven (three gold, two silver, two bronze); Italy with four (one gold, two silver, one bronze); and the USA with four (three silver, one bronze).In all, YOG athletes won medals in 19 sports, ranging from archery to wrestling. Besides the 18 achieved in swimming, there were notable returns in weightlifting and taekwondo, with eight and seven medals respectively. Other star performances included the badminton gold medals for Spain’s Carolina Marín and Japan’s Misaki Matsutomo, in the women’s singles and doubles respectively; Mónica Puig’s extraordinary run to gold – a first ever for Puerto Rico – in the women’s singles tennis competition; and the imperious display by China’s Wei Deng, who set a world record in winning the women’s weightlifting 63kg event.Perhaps most memorable of all, though, was the gold medal won by a Brazilian YOG athlete. Thiago Braz da Silva enjoyed an epic duel in the pole vault with defending champion Renaud Lavillenie, from France. His Olympic record clearance of 6.03m won gold, as well as the hearts of every Brazilian in the Olympic Stadium.Such encouraging results highlight the importance of the YOG in the development of talented athletes, with many using their YOG success as a platform to achieve even greater things at the Olympic Games. And with the YOG Buenos Aires 2018 around the corner, the number of YOG participants with the potential for Olympic glory is certain to rise.RECORD-BREAKING RESULTS FOR YOG ATHLETES AT RIO 2016Left Former YOG athlete Carolina Marín celebrates her badminton gold in Rio22 OLYMPIC REVIEW