Youth Olympic Games Research Articles

Youth Olympic Games (YOG) 2012—Mission Accomplished? A Retrospective Analysis of Intangible Legacies and the Fulfillment of the YOG’s Goals

Even though intangible legacies play an important role in the context of major sports events, research lacks both in depth and breadth. This paper, therefore, investigates intangible legacies of the Innsbruck 2012 Youth Olympic Games by surveying young residents (n = 1,338) 3 years after the event was staged. Special attention was paid to the youth’s level of involvement in the event. Additionally, the fulfillment of the YOG’s goals was analyzed. The results revealed that the YOG’s goals were mostly perceived as fulfilled. Although the local youth had overwhelmingly positive associations with and a positive opinion about the YOG, the event affected their lives only to a minor extent. Overall, our findings confirmed the extant literature and extended it by providing fundamental insights into the event’s image, which can be useful for future YOGs.

„TSUKAHARA“ VAULT TRAINING IN THE STAGE OF SPORT IMPROVEMENT (AGE 10-11)

From the observations made at international competitions for juniors – European championships (ECh) and European Youth Olympic Games (EYOG) we found that some of the most commonly performed vaults are those of II, III, and IV structural groups, in particular – “Handsprig fwd” , “Tsukahara”, and “Yurchenko”. The present study aims to optimize the training method of training the Vault “Tsukahara”, in girls in the stage of sport improvement (age 10-11). Within the period 2018-2019 a sports and pedagogical experiment was conducted in which Bulgarian gymnasts at 10-11 years of age were studied. The experimental methodology is focused in 3 main directions: physical qualities – particularly with regards to vault; jumps from trampoline, preparatory exercises for vault apparatus from III structure group. The study confirmed the notion that the base vault in gymnastics is “Handsprig (without salto )“ and found that the age of 9-10 years is most appropriate for initial training of “Tsukahara” vault. The conducted pedagogical experiment confirms the necessity of obligatory inclusion of trampoline and special physical preparation work in the weekly training program cycle, equivalent to the four female apparatuses. Deliberate work on the proposed methodology has led to positive results in the experimental group. The prepared multimedia computer product [11] is designed for the needs of gymnastics.q

Estimated effects of air quality control measures on mortality reduction and economic benefits during the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games

During the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, the local government implemented a series of emission control measures. Fixed-effect model and generalized additive model were conducted to evaluate the association between control measures and health benefits. Daily non-accidental mortality decreased from 71 deaths per day before taking control measures to 61 during the under-control period. Interim measures reduced SO2, NO2, PM2.5, PM10 by 6.63%, 12.96%, 8.72% and 10.30%, while comprehensive measures further reduced pollutants by 12.19%, 8.89%, 25.05% and 30.86%. A μg/m3 decrease in SO2, NO2, PM2.5, PM10 was associated with decreases in all-cause mortality of 2.91%(95%CI:1.57%,4.24%), 1.36%(95%CI:0.62%,2.11%), 0.55%(95%CI:0.23%,0.87%) and 0.39%(95%CI: 0.15%,0.62%). According to the calculation, the game specifically reduced about 1000 acute deaths from all cause and produced about 500 million USD of benefits, demonstrating a statistically significant association between air quality controls and health benefits. The result also shows that relevant controls to deal with NO2 and PM should be taken more stringently in heavily polluted cities.

Kinematic analysis of the speed climbing event at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games

Since the Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) 2018, hosted in Buenos Aires, Argentina, sport climbing is an official event of the Olympic Games program as a combine event. The climbers have to perform...

Breaking for Gold: Another Crossroads in the Divergent History of this Dance

Veteran breakers have always viewed their dance as a form of art, but the public often views it as a competitive sport, trying to standardize and commercialize this dance as other forms of physical education often are. The World Dance Sport Federation has recently succeeded in adding ‘breakdance’ into the Olympic movement and the first ever Olympic event of its kind took place during the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. Twenty years of historical hermeneutic research, ethnography, and social-scientific analysis have revealed a development trend in which the art of breaking has been becoming more and more similar to competitive sports, but these veterans believe that breaking is best encouraged to continue realizing its social, cultural, and artistic values. In order for more people to be able to enjoy the full range of its potential benefits, breaking should not be made to lose its unique characteristics during assimilation into the world of sports.

Does the young residents' experience with the Youth Olympic Games influence the support for staging the Olympic Games?

Events have become popular tools for tourism development. However, in recent times, bids for hosting events tend to fail due to residents' opposition. This study examines the experience of the local youth on occasion of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) and analyzes its influence towards the bid for the Olympic Games (OG). Thus, a survey (n = 1004) was conducted 3 years after staging the YOG. Findings suggest that the level of involvement and the experience gained at the YOG have a significant influence on the support for an OG bid. Our analyses extend the literature (1) by analyzing the influence the perception of smaller events has on bigger challenges, (2) by testing influencing factors on gained experiences, (3) by eliminating short-term effects due to a study design questioning locals 3 years after the event and, finally, (4) by considering the level of young individuals' involvement during the event.

Understanding Young Athletes’ Learning at the Youth Olympic Games: A Sport Development Perspective

This paper examines young athletes’ experiences, perceptions, and learning derived from participating in the Youth Olympic Games (YOG). We draw from Lillehammer 2016 YOG Games-time field notes, observations, and interviews with 36 young athletes to demonstrate young athletes learning about important aspects of the Olympic Movement through first-hand experience. Young athletes focused on their competition and performance, while benefitting from their interactions with other athletes and with the context, as they engaged in formal and informal learning activities. Findings demonstrate progressive degrees of young athlete learning particularly from a development of sport, but also a development through sport perspective. Our study contributes to the examination of Games-time activities, logistics, and processes experienced by the athlete who benefits from a sport (athletic) and social (lifelong) development perspective.

Методика вдосконалення координаційної підготовки як дієвого засобу підвищення технічної майстерності гімнасток 8 – 10 років

The article deals with the peculiarities of the technical subject preparation of gymnasts. Training in artistic gymnastics differs from other sports with high coordination complexity, higher level of specialization of training aids, and the concept of training load management is based on the unity of loading and restoration, on regulation of the functional state of the athlete through the use and alternation of large, medium and small loads. The urgency is that in recent years, Ukrainian gymnasts on the world stage often lose to Russians while having physical abilities that are not inferior, and sometimes even significantly higher than that of competitors. One of the reasons is the lack of coordination of athletes with the subject, which should begin to improve during the first stages of many years of training. It is revealed that in the system of training process special attention is paid to technical preparation with objects that are different from each other, have different texture and properties. As an effective means, it is proposed to apply coordination training with the help of gymnastics, as an effective means of improving the technical skill of gymnasts. In order to better prepare athletes – gymnasts in the Youth Olympic Games «Olympic Hope», a pedagogical experiment was conducted. During the experiment, an initial and final testing was performed in the application of the proposed methodology. Children were offered several tests: hit the ball to the target, performing 10 throws by the right and left hand of each item (without loss of the subject), performing the dance connection with the subject, performing gymnastic risk. At the end of the experiment, the overall performance increased by 20.9%. On the basis of positive changes in indicators of the level of development of coordination abilities, effective methodical approaches of sports training of gymnasts of 8 - 10 years are offered.

Coping with Dual Logics at One Event: The Participating Athletes’ Perceptions from the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games

Coping with Dual Logics at One Event: The Participating Athletes’ Perceptions from the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games

Development of a model for physical fitness and its correlates in children and adolescents from the canton de Vaud: the PACE model

The Lausanne Youth Olympic Games in January 2020 rep­resent a unique opportunity for the canton of Vaud to ­strengthen its policy of health promotion through physical activity and sport among young people. Several factors influence physical activity and physical fitness of a population. Ecological models describe correlates of physical activity in general population and youth. However, no model describes correlates of physical fitness. To close this gap, the model of physical fitness and its correlates among children and adolescents of the canton of Vaud (PACE model) was developed. The model is organized in the following levels: global (guidelines, policy and legal context), environmental (social, built and natural environment), interpersonal (family and relatives social support) and individual (biological, socio­demographic, psychological and behavioral aspects). Perspectives on the application of the PACE model are also ­presented. La forme masculine est utilisée dans cet article par souci de concision. Elle doit être comprise comme englobant l’ensemble des réalités liées au genre.

An Examination of the Public’s Twitter Usage of Youth Olympic Games and Olympic Games from 2010 to 2016

The purpose of this study is to assess the status of Twitter usage on attracting the public’s attention with regard to the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) as compared to the Olympic Games (OG). Associated tweets were collected and analyzed to determine whether retweets, likes, and hashtags of tweets differed by event (YOG or OG), by event year (2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016), or by timeframe (before, during, and after the major sporting events). Using the Python programming language, this study extracted data (i.e., tweets, retweets, likes, and hashtags) during the three timeframes across the eight mega-sporting events. Findings from this study have implications for the analytical development of social media usage by sport organizations and provide a better understanding of social media platforms in the context of mega-sporting events.

Olympic education and sports role models

Olympism occupies an important place in our society through the Olympic Games (OJ) and the Youth Olympic Games (YOG). This neologism created by Pierre de Coubertin may appear as the preferred path for an education based on the harmonious development of body and mind. For all that, is the Olympism that Coubertin wanted to remain, at the dawn of the 21st century, an educational model? Can we imagine proposing and providing an Olympic education in the school system, university or sports? Can Olympic champions and should they serve as role models for the new generation?

#OlympicLab – результаты и перспективы проекта

Objective of the article is to open main tasks of the #OlympicLab and to show projects’ achievements and results. Methods. Theoretical analysis and generalization, the method of analogy, comparative-historical and descriptive statistics. Results. Olympic movement and Olympic education, as well as sport in general, is becoming increasingly popular in society. It gives new challenges adaptation of sustainable projects to the modern needs of the population. Olympic Academy of Ukraine is one of the best Olympic Academies in the whole world. In addition to the Olympic education projects conducted by the Olympic Academy of Ukraine, there is a network of the schools of Olympic education in Ukraine, which curriculum contains additional lessons and activities in Olympic education. Analyzing current position of the Olympic education in Ukraine, we can come to the conclusion that all projects are already sustainable and are those that have met the tasks, but our world is developing too fast. That is why we have to take into consideration “time’” requirements. #OlympicLab – is a new form of the Olympic education. The project is up to the modern demands and has free access for everyone who would like to be acquainted with all aspects of the Olympic movement and sport. In turn, #OlympicLab includes 6 modules which are based on the Learn and Share program of the Youth Olympic Games and the annual NOC of Ukraine project – Olympic lesson. #OlympicLab project was launched in Ukraine in 2016. From 2016 to October 2018, the number of participants of the #OlympicLab is more than 33,210 persons. Also, for this period 934 educational institutions took part in the project, and more than 155 events were held throughout Ukraine. Conclusion. The increasing number of participants, educational institutions and events of the #OlympicLab shows rise of popularity of the project and its’ development. The #OlympicLab tasks confirm the flexibility and complexity along with the multi-functionality of the project tasks themselves. #OlympicLab project is being improved and developed, we hope to promote it and offer it to the National Olympic Committees in other countries. Keywords: Olympic education, #OlympicLab, Olympic movement.

Introduction of the Olympic education innovation forms

The question of introducing innovative forms of Olympic education are considered. Objective. To determine the effectiveness of implementing the innovative form of Olympic education – the project #OlympicLab. Methods. Analysis of scientific literature, surveys. Results. #OlympicLab is a new form of Olympic education. The project is accessible to everyone and meets the requirements of the time. It has a multi-dimensional character, is based on the Cultural and Educational Program of the Youth Olympic Games and contains six modules. In order to evaluate the results of the project # OlympicLab, an online survey of representatives of regional branches of the NOC of Ukraine was conducted. It consisted of questions about assessing the effectiveness of the project in general and the effectiveness of its individual modules. The overall assessment of the effectiveness of the project implementation was 8.9 ± 1.09 points. The most effective task of the project was determined to be the commitment to be familiar with the Olympic and general human values, which, according to the results of the survey, constituted 9.35 ± 0.93 points. The major advantage of the project according to the respondents was the innovation of the modules (8.88 ± 1.00 points). The analysis of the scientific and methodological literature, the IOC regulations testifies to the importance of the Olympic education and the need to develop its innovative forms. The results of the survey confirmed the effectiveness of #OlympicLab modules, tasks and content, and also helped to highlight the benefits of the project and identify the prospects for its improvement.

The Youth Olympic Games as an arena for Olympic education: An evaluation of the school program, “Dream Day”

The promotion of Olympic education through Olympic events has received increased attention among researchers. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) as an arena for Olympic education based on the perceptions of the pupils participating in the school programme “Dream Day” during the YOG 2016 in Lillehammer, a former Olympic city in Norway. Didactical principles for Olympic education (Naul, 2008) are adopted as an analytical framework. This is a qualitative case study using interviews, observations and personal essays of participating pupils as the main sources. Based on the findings in this paper, we argue that the YOG have significant potential as an arena for Olympic education. However, this potential is not yet utilized, and the following implications for future practices are presented. First, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) needs to put more effort into the implementation of Olympic education programmes. Second, the implementation of Olympic education programmes should be a collaboration between different groups and disciplines, including youth representatives. Third, corroborating Naul’s (2008), the pupils’ socio-cultural backgrounds have to be taken into account in order to meet the needs of the participating youth. Finally, the Olympic education programme should have a long-term perspective where the Games are used to increase the educational effect.

Quantitative Analysis of Health Risk Perception, Exposure Levels, and Willingness to Pay/Accept of PM2.5 during the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games.

Local governments in China regularly implement short-term emission control measures to improve air quality during important sporting events. As a condition for hosting the 2014 Youth Olympic Games (YOG), the Nanjing government agreed to temporarily and substantially improve air quality. Regression analysis, Spearman correlation analysis, χ2 test, and the contingent valuation method were used to explore the effects of robust, short-term air pollution control measures on risk perception, daily exposure to PM2.5, risk acceptance levels, and willingness to pay/accept (WTP/WTA) for reductions in air pollution for the benefit of reducing health risks. Postimplementation, the respondents' risk perception levels presented the following changes: during the YOG, the respondents perceived the lowest effects of haze pollution while after the YOG, they perceived the highest effects. The changes in risk acceptance levels showed the same tendency. Furthermore, after the YOG, the respondents asked for the most economic compensation, and their willingness to pay for risk reduction also reached the highest level. This study reveals the need to increase the public's understanding of the health risks of air pollution, protect those populations most exposed to high levels of PM2.5, and take more effective long-term measures to meet local residents' demands for improved air quality.

PM2.5 concentration and composition in the urban air of Nanjing, China: Effects of emission control measures applied during the 2014 Youth Olympic Games

Industrial processes, coal combustion, biomass burning (BB), and vehicular transport are important sources of atmospheric fine particles (PM2.5) and contribute to ambient air concentrations of health-hazardous species, such as heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and oxygenated-PAHs (OPAH). In China, emission controls have been implemented to improve air quality during large events, like the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in August 2014 in Nanjing. In this work, six measurement campaigns between January 2014 and August 2015 were undertaken in Nanjing to determine the effects of emission controls and meteorological factors on PM2.5 concentration and composition. PAHs, OPAHs, hopanes, n‑alkanes, heavy metals, and several other inorganic elements were measured. PM2.5 and potassium concentrations were the highest in May–June 2014 indicating the prevalence of BB plumes in Nanjing. Emission controls substantially reduced concentrations of PM2.5 (31%), total PAHs (59%), OPAHs (37%), and most heavy metals (44–89%) during the YOG compared to August 2015. In addition, regional atmospheric transport and meteorological parameters partly explained the observed differences between the campaigns. The most abundant PAHs and OPAHs were benzo[b,k]fluoranthenes, fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene, 1,8‑naphthalic anhydride, and 9,10‑anthracenedione in all campaigns. Carbon preference index and the contribution of wax n‑alkanes indicated mainly biogenic sources of n‑alkanes in May–June 2014 and anthropogenic sources in the other campaigns. Hopane indexes pointed to vehicular transport as the major source of hopanes, but contribution of coal combustion was detected in winter 2015. The results provide evidence to the local government of the impacts of the air protection regulations. However, differences between individual components were observed, e.g., concentrations of potentially more harmful OPAHs decreased less than concentrations of PAHs. The results suggest that the proportions of hazardous components in the PM2.5 may also change considerably due to emission control measures.

A Quantitative Analysis of Health Risk Perception, Exposure Levels, and WTP/WTA of PM2.5 during the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games

Local governments in China regularly implement authoritative short-term emission control measures to improve air quality during important sporting events. As a condition for hosting the 2014 Youth ...

Rogge’s Games: Establishing the Youth Olympic Games as a New Event in the Olympic Movement

The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) were established as a new event in the Olympic family at a session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in July 2007. This paper illuminates why and how this new event was established. It turns out that the formally unanimous decision to establish the event was taken in a contested terrain. Much attention has been put on the agency of the then president of the IOC, Jacques Rogge, and his role as an institutional leader is discussed in a context where the pressure of tradition is strong. Securing the character of an organization which has become an institution is a central task for institutional leadership, and developing an ‘external mechanism’ or a new subfield like the YOG is a way to explore this. Appealing to original ideas and values, such as the educational role of the games, is of importance but would in itself not be enough to convince the fellow members of the IOC’s decision-making bodies. Acting politically as a ‘statesman’ with the skills and ability to manoeuvre among different interests and wills was equally a necessity to convince the decision makers to welcome this new event into the Olympic movement.

Race Profiles of Rowers During the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

Cerasola, D, Cataldo, A, Bellafiore, M, Traina, M, Palma, A, Bianco, A, and Capranica, L. Race profiles of rowers during the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. J Strength Cond Res 32(7): 2055-2060, 2018-Among the different factors affecting the outcome of elite rowing competitions, pacing strategy plays a relevant role. The purpose of this study was to analyze the race profiles of youth athletes competing at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games over a distance of 1,000 m. According to the competition outcome of sculling and sweep events, 96 youth (17-18 years) rowers (48 male and 48 female) were divided into winner (W), not winner (NW), qualified (Q), and not-qualified (NQ) athletes. The time during the 1,000-m race distance was considered at 0-500 m (T1) and 500-1000 m (T2). The average speed of T1 and T2 were normalized in relation to the average speed of the whole race. In both sexes, W rowers showed higher (p > 0.05) T2 values (100.8 ± 0.9%) with respect to T1 (99.2 ± 0.9%) ones. Female athletes showed a higher (p ≤ 0.05) T1 with respect to T2 in NW, Q, and NQ, whereas male athletes exhibited a higher T1 (p ≤ 0.05) than T2 speed only in NQ. While to be admitted to the final phase of the competition, the rowers tended to favor a positive race strategy (88%); during the final phase, a difference (p = 0.43) emerged for outcome, with the majority of medalists (67%) adopting a negative race strategy. These results suggest that winners have applied a different race strategy compared with the other groups in consequence to a higher efficiency of anaerobic metabolism.