With Buenos Aires 2018 kicking off in just 10 days, get excited for the third edition of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) with these 10 fun facts about your YOG athletes, and the city in which they will compete!
BUENOS AIRES 2018: With Buenos Aires 2018 kicking off in just 10 days, get excited for the third edition of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) with these 10 fun facts about your YOG athletes, and the city in which they will compete!
- The YOG has been a platform for some of our most successful Olympians. The likes of Jessica Fox, Kyle Chalmers, Brandon Starc and Emma McKeon all competed at a Youth Olympic Games before going onto some impressive Olympic performances.
- The YOG Opening Ceremony will take place at the Aveninda 9 de Julio (or 9th July Avenue). It is the widest avenue in the world and is home to the famous Obelisk Monument. In an Olympic first, the Opening Ceremony will be a 360-degree street party around the iconic landmark.
- The tallest Aussie YOG athlete is 18 year-old swimmer, Lewis Blackburn who towers at 195cm tall, while the shortest is 15 year-old gymnast, Kate Sayer at a petite 153cm.
- The national sport of Argentina is Pato – a combination of polo and basketball that is played on horseback. We’re sure Team AUS rider Madi Sinderberry and our 3x3 Basketballers could give them a run for their money!
- The Australian YOG squad is made up of 41 male athletes and 47 female athletes across 26 sports.
- Buenos Aires has an unofficial afternoon tea time, where locals indulge in tea and cakes to take them through to their traditionally late dinnertime of between 9-11 pm!
- The oldest Aussie YOG team member at 18 years and 8 months old is Hockey 5’s player, Lain Carr, while the youngest is Rhythmic Gymnast, Lidiia Iakovleva who just turned 15 last month.
- Before becoming the Pontiff, Pope Francis I, was a nightclub bouncer in this bustling city!
- This years' YOG will show off sports that will make their Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020. Watch our athletes mix it up in the mixed gender relays, showcase the speed and agility of 3x3 Basketball, and spider-man their way up the tall walls in Sport Climbing.
- Argentinians love their sport, with Buenos Aires having the most football stadiums of any city in the world.
You can follow the journey of your YOG athletes via our social media channels below, and make sure you bookmark our Live Stream page to follow all the YOG action live from Argentina HERE.
Liana Buratti
olympics.com.au
