By Michael Place
BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Xinhua looks at key details of the 2018 Youth Summer Olympic Games, which begin in Buenos Aires on Saturday.
1. What are the Youth Olympics?
The Youth Olympics are held every four years, comprising athletes aged 15 to 18. The first summer edition was held in Singapore in 2010 and the maiden winter version in Innsbruck, Austria, in 2012.
2. Why the Youth Olympics?
According to the International Olympic Committee, the quadrennial event aims to provide opportunities for athletes and to engage communities through the Olympic values. The idea was conceived by Austrian Johann Rosenzopf, who was concerned about global childhood obesity and falling youth sport activity levels. He also envisaged an event that would serve as a pathway to the Olympic Games.
3. Buenos Aires 2018 facts
This year's Summer Youth Olympic Games will be held in Buenos Aires from October 6 to 18. Around 4,000 athletes from 206 countries and regions will take part in the Games, which will comprise 241 events in 32 sports. More than 8,000 volunteers will be on hand to ensure competitions run smoothly. The upcoming event will mark the first time that the Youth Games have been held outside of Asia.
4. Who can compete?
Participants compete in three different age groups: 14-15 years, 16-17 years, and 17-18 years. The athlete's age is determined by how old he or she is on December 31 of the year they are participating in the Games. Qualification to compete varies depending on each sport, meeting criteria set by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Sports Federations (ISF).
5. China success
China is the most successful nation in the history of the Youth Olympics, having won 78 gold medals and 141 medals in total. Next is Russia with 57 gold medals, South Korea with 31, the United States with 26 and Germany with 21.
6. Which sports participate?
Sports participating in the Youth Games reflect those in the traditional Olympics, with fewer disciplines and categories. Four new sports will make their debut in the Argentine capital: dance sport, karate, roller speed skating and sport climbing.
The sports featuring at Buenos Aires 2018 are: aquatics, archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, canoeing, cycling, dance sport, equestrian, fencing, field hockey, football (soccer), golf, gymnastics, handball, judo, karate, modern pentathlon, roller sports, rowing, rugby, sailing, shooting, sport climbing, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, weightlifting and wrestling.
