October 21, 2009 – The members of the IOC Coordination Commission for the first Winter Youth Olympic Games Innsbruck 2012 were very pleased with the progress of the preparations presented to them this week. Gian Franco Kasper, President of the Coordination Commission, is convinced: “The athletes will find the best conditions in 2012 in Innsbruck and Seefeld.” He added: “Tyrol has both the required sports expertise and the necessary commitment to secure and sustain its young talents in snow sports. With this combination, Tyrol is the ideal venue to host the first Winter Youth Olympic Games in the history of the Olympic movement. “

“The work is well underway under the new leadership and we are pleased to see the full support of the different levels of the Austrian government for the project. The time remains short but we are positive about the current state of the preparations,” concluded FIS President Kasper.

Besides the traditional events, new events especially geared towards young people aged 15 to 19 years, such as Snowboard slopestyle and several team competitions – mixed disciplines and gender (e.g. mixed ski jumping competition including a male ski jumper, a female ski jumper and a Nordic Combined athlete), will be included in the sports program for the first time. The second major pillar of the Youth Olympic Games establishes a Culture and Education Program on par with the sport events. The Innsbruck Congress Center will play a major role in hosting the participating 1048 athletes during the Games, as the main facility hosting the modern cultural program.

The Youth Olympic Winter Games 2012 in Innsbruck and Seefeld will take place from 13th-23rd January. The competition schedule and discipline / event quotas are expected to be approved by the IOC by the end of the year.