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Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has announced that Singapore will be the host city of the first Youth Olympic Games to take place in 2010. The Games will bring together talented athletes — ages 14 to 18 — from around the world to participate in high-level competitions.
Where equestrian sport is concerned, only jumping competitions on borrowed horses are currently scheduled. The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the governing body of international equestrian sport, is currently working on the qualification criteria with the IOC; the criteria will be made available as soon as established.
To date, it is unknown whether the United States will be sending an equestrian team to the Youth Games.
In addition to competition, the Youth Games will also include educational programs on the Olympic values, the benefits of sport for a healthy lifestyle, the social values sport can deliver and the dangers of doping and of training to excess and/or of inactivity.
I find summer competitions in any of the southeast-Asian countries problematic, to say the least. Even Atlanta was difficult in July 1996 and caused some serious health concerns for some horses. Perhaps it would be best not to send any equestrian team to such locations, unless there is adequate climatized, indoor competition space…
great article!
I’d like to hear what equestrian events are scheduled. I would also have some concerns about the health of the horses if a U.S. team is sent.
What’s the point? Most of the athletes in the Olympics are between those ages anyway.
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