Top Olympic Bid Stories of 2008: Singapore and Innsbruck Win First Bids For Youth Olympic Games

Continuing GamesBids.com's first ever Top Ten Olympic bid Stories list for 2008 we look at a different kind of Olympic bid that debuted this year.  Bids for the new Youth Olympic Games have added a whole new dynamic to the geopolitics behind cities that are determined to become and "Olympic City".

Previously...
#10 – Chicago fights for control of key domain name
#9 – Birmingham, Alabama bids for the Olympics – we think
#8 – Durban to bid for 2018 Olympics?
#7 - PyeongChang gets ready to bid for 2018 Olympic Games 

In 2007, International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge launched the Youth Olympic Games concept.  For ages 14-18, these games would be modeled from the Olympic Games and both summer and winter editions will be held, alternating every two years starting in 2010. The bid process had to be fast-tracked in order to allow time to prepare for the Summer Games in 2010 and the subsequent Winter Games in 2012, so a bid process was quickly launched. 

#5 - Singapore Awarded First Youth Olympic Games in 2010

On February 24, 2008 – Singapore was elected to host the inaugural edition by defeating Moscow by a vote of 53 to 44 among IOC members who participated with postal ballots.  Singapore will host the Games from August 14 to 26, 2010. 

#6 - Innsbruck, Austria Awarded First Youth Winter Olympic Games in 2012 

Immediately following, the bid process for the 2012 Youth Olympic Winter Games was launched.  A short list of four candidates included Innsbruck Austria, Kuopio Finland, Lillehammer Norway and Harbin China.

 

Eventually the list was narrowed down to just Innsbruck – the experienced former host of two Olympic Winter Games; and Kuopio – the smaller and less experienced University town that has the energy and motivation of youth, a model the IOC would be interested in.

 

However, on December 12, IOC members voted overwhelmingly (84-15) for Innsbruck to host the Games.

 

Tomorrow we count down #3 and #4.

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