Page 24

BUENOS AIRES 2018 YOG CELEBRATES ONE YEAR TO GO IOC YOUNG CHANGE-MAKERS CONTINUE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE With one year to go to the YOG Buenos Aires 2018, celebrations were staged across the Argentine capital to mark the final countdown to the YOG, which will take place from 6 to 18 October 2018. At a special event at the city’s famous Obelisco landmark – the location of the Opening Ceremony – the President of the Buenos Aires 2018 Organising Committee and IOC Member Gerardo Werthein was joined by fellow IOC Member Li Lingwei, who chairs the IOC Coordination Commission, and the mayor of Buenos Aires, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta. Olympic champions Pedro Ibarra, Cecilia Carranza Saroli and Santiago Lange were also in attendance. In a video message, IOC President Thomas Bach said: “Only one year to go until Buenos Aires 2018. We can’t wait to join you next year in this passionate sport city for a celebration of sport, youth and culture.” In November, the IOC welcomed a group of passionate Young Change-Makers (YCMs) to discuss with IOC President Thomas Bach how best to reach young people by inspiring, engaging and empowering them. Held for the second consecutive year, the Youth Summit brought together 18 YCMs from around the world – each of whom has received seed funding from the IOC to deliver inspiring grassroots projects – to exchange ideas on how the IOC can stay relevant by investing in young people and giving them a voice. Speaking to the YCMs, President Bach said: “I’m often presented with statistics on a screen about youth engagement, but sitting face to face with you all and hearing your thoughts and opinions on the topics that matter to you is one of the best moments of my job. On behalf of the IOC, I want to thank you all for delivering such incredibly inspiring and diverse projects, and I would like to personally invite you all to the Olympism in Action Forum in order to be part of the wider discussion on how to engage and empower young people through sport.” The IOC has revealed the first 25 Athlete Role Models (ARMs) who will gather in Argentina next October to mentor and support the next generation of young athletes during the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Buenos Aires 2018. The sporting legends have been selected by the International Federations of the 32 sports that will appear on the Olympic programme at the YOG. The list includes many well-known names from the world of sport, including Olympic and world champions, with more to be revealed closer to the Games. In Buenos Aires, the ARMs will play a key role in supporting and mentoring the young athletes who will be participating in the Games. The main goal behind the programme is to enable the ARMs to share their experiences and inspire the athletes to be the best they can be both on and off the field of play. The ARMs will also spend time in the four parks, engaging with local youth through various Learn & Share activities and participating in sports taster sessions for the public. Another prominent sports star who will play a pivotal role during the YOG Buenos Aires 2018 is South African swimmer Chad Le Clos. On 17 November, the four- time Olympic medallist was announced as a YOG Ambassador for the second time, having previously served as an Ambassador for the YOG in Nanjing in 2014. SPORTS STARS SET FOR BUENOS AIRES Above President Bach with the YCMs at the Youth Summit Pictured Argentine hockey player Matías Paredes has been selected as an ARM