2016 Winter Youth Olympics
 | |
| Events | 63 |
|---|---|
| Main venue | Stampesletta |
The 2016 Winter Youth Olympics, officially known as the II Winter Youth Olympic Games, is scheduled to take place in and around Lillehammer, Norway, between 26 February and 6 March 2016. It will be the fourth Youth Olympic Games and the second winter edition. Lillehammer was awarded the games on 7 December 2011 as the only candidate.[1] The games will reuse venues from the 1994 Winter Olympics. In addition to Lillehammer, sports will be contested in Hamar, Gjøvik and Øyer.
Host selection
Lillehammer was the only city to bid for the games. The Norwegian Olympic Committee talked with Norwegian and regional authorities to investigated a bid and ultimately submitted a bid to the IOC. Upon the deadline for bidding, they were the only city to bid. Lillehammer hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics. They bid for the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics, but failed to become a candidate. Lake Placid, Lucerne, Zaragoza and Sofia all expressed interest in bidding but ultimately failed to submit any bids.[2][3][4][5] [6][7] On December 7, 2011, the International Olympic Committee selected Lillehammer as the host city of the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics.[8]
Organization
In January 2012, Siri Hatlen was appointed as head of the Lillehammer 2016 Organizing Committee.[9] At the Closing ceremony of the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics in Innsbruck, Lillehammer was handed the Olympic Flag.[10]
Venues
Nine competition and eleven non-competition venues are to be used, with all except the Youth Olympic Village in Lillehammer being existing venues. The games will be held in four municipalities: Lillehammer, Hamar, Gjøvik and Øyer. The former three are located on the lake of Mjøsa and each have about 27,000 residents, while Øyer has 5,000 residents and is located in the valley of Gudbrandsdalen. There will be five competition venues in Lillehammer, two in Hamar and one each in Gjøvik and Øyer.[11]
In Lillehammer, the twin ski jumping hill of Lysgårdsbakken has a spectator capacity of 35,000. The large hill has a hill size of 138 and a K-point of 120, while the normal hill has a hill size of 100 and a K-point of 90.[12] Birkebeineren Ski Stadium will host cross-country skiing, biathlon and Nordic combined,[13] with the stadium itself having a capacity for 31,000 spectators during cross-country skiing and 13,500 during biathlon. In addition, spectators could watch from along the tracks.[14] Kanthaugen Freestyle Arena has a capacity for 15,000 spectators and will host freestyle skiing and half-pipe snowboarding.[15]
Lillehammer Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track is located at Hunderfossen and is the only bobsleigh, luge and skeleton track in the Nordic Countries.[16] Kristins Hall will host both ice hockey and curling.[17] Gjøvik Olympic Cavern Hall is located in a man-made cave and will feature the short track speed skating events.[18] In Hamar, Vikingskipet will host long track speed skating and Hamar Olympic Amphitheatre will host figure skating.[19] Alpine skiing and slopestyle snowboarding will be undertaken at Hafjell in Øyer.[20]
Stampesletta, a multi-sports complex next to Kristins Hall, will host the opening and closing ceremonies. The medal ceremonies will take place in the town plaza. Athlete and leader accommodation will be provided at two Olympic Villages, one in Lillehammer for the Lillehammer and Øyer-based events, and one in Hamar for the Hamar and Gjøvik-based events. The Lillehammer village consists of yet unbuilt student apartments in combination with an hotel and apartment resort. They will use Håkons Hall for dining. The Hamar village will be Hotel Scandic Hamar.[21] In addition, there are five designated cultural venues in Lillehammer: Kulturhuset Banken, Lillehammer Art Museum, Lillehammer University College, Maihaugen and the Nansen Academy.[22] The Main Media Centre will be located at Mesna Upper Secondary School, which is adjacent to Stampesletta.[23]
All the competition venues were built ahead of the 1994 Winter Olympics.[24] Kristins Hall is the only venue not used during those Games,[25] while Håkons Hall and Kvitfjell were used, but will not be used for the Youth Games.[24]
Events
References
- Bibliography
- Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF). "Candidate city for the Winter Youth Olympic Games: Lillehammer 2016". Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - International Olympic Committee (IOC) (November 2011). "2nd Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2016: Report of the IOC Evaluation Commission". Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 December 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - Lillehammer Olympic Organizing Committee (LOOC). "1994 Winter Olympics Report, volume III" (PDF). Retrieved 10 December 2010.
- Notes
- ^ Lillehammer awarded 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games
- ^ "Lake Placid Should Consider 2016 Youth Games Bid - Rogge". GamesBids.com. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
- ^ "Lake Placid Leaning towards 2020 Youth Games Bid". GamesBids.com. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
- ^ Lucerne 2020 Informational brochure
- ^ Publicado por piris. "Los Juegos de los Pirineos: ¿Zaragoza 2016 - Juegos Olimpicos de la Juventud?". Pirineos-olimpicos.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
- ^ Sofia To Bid For 2016 Winter Youth Games
- ^ Sofia Out Of 2016 Youth Winter Games Bid
- ^ Lillehammer named Winter Youth Olympic Games host for 2016
- ^ Businesswoman appointed head of Lillehammer 2016
- ^ Innsbruck 2012 brought to close as Olympic flag passed to Lillehammer 2016
- ^ IOC (2011): 5
- ^ LOOC (III): 18–22
- ^ NIF: 10
- ^ LOOC (III): 31–36
- ^ NIF: 8
- ^ LOOC (III): 37–41
- ^ NIF: 12
- ^ NIF: 32
- ^ NIF: 24
- ^ NIF: 16
- ^ IOC (2011): 6
- ^ NIF: 34–37
- ^ NIF: 47
- ^ a b LOOC (III): 14
- ^ "Lillehammer 1 år igjen". Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian). 12 February 1993. p. 14.
| Summer Games | |
|---|---|
| Winter Games | |
