IOC creates Youth Olympics

Been busy on personal art projects this weekend. I promise to resume blogging full blast. For Now, the IOC approves a Youth Olympiad! here are a couple of articles about it.

Lane 9 News: [Link] Swim News' pithy criticism [Link] This Washington Post article is the best: [Link]

Scary headline out of Australia: "Everybody out of the pool, cricket has bowled us over"

Cricket is now the the favorite sport of Australia. Snippet:

• According to a nationwide survey, cricket has engaged the hearts of 59 per cent of the population, surpassing swimming at 57 per cent and Australian rules with 56 per cent.

• The latest edition of the Sweeney sports report revealed that for the first time in the survey's 21-year history, cricket eclipsed swimming, which has been rated as the most popular or equally most popular sport (with Australian rules) since 1991. [Link] [More] [Even more] [Still more]
  

The ice skating fan base has dissipated so much that world championship events can barely find sponsors to advertise or even venues to skate in. Contrast this to how well the sport was adored in the previous decades where champions like Dorothy Hamill, Oksana Baiul, Michelle Kwan, and Scott Hamilton were household names; the public has lost interest. This is even effecting such sports as tennis, hockey and even running. I would hate to see swimming go under the radar in Australia.

This planet needs a "Youth Olympics" to get kids intersted in sports, away from the TV and socializing in "real life" rather than 2nd Life. Here is a link to an article that states a Youth Olympics may take place in 2010: [Link]

The IOC is considering a "Youth Olympic Games"

The executive board of the International Olympic Committee agreed in principle to consider ratifying a new Youth Olympic Games so as to impress on the younger generation how important sports are to character, discipline and values. I am surprised that obesity, diabetes, video games, collapsing sports revenue in such sports as tennis and ice skating were not mentioned.

• The Format The Summer and Winter Youth Games would alternate every four years, the Summer events would be staged in the years of the Olympic Winter Games and vice versa. The first edition of Summer YOG is envisaged for 2010. Estimates around participant numbers range from 3,000 for the Summer YOG and 1,000 for the winter counterpart. The organisational effort for a city to host the YOG would be significantly lower for the Olympic Games. However the details of the concept still need to be defined in close cooperation with the members of the Olympic Movement. Experience can be gathered from events like the European and Australian Youth Olympic Festivals.