The International Olympic Committee said Gabriel would begin work on September 1 to organise the inaugural event, which will take place in 2010 and feature athletes aged between 14 and 18 years old.
The IOC opened the bidding process last Friday for the 2010 event and will choose the host city by postal vote in February 2008. The first Winter Youth Olympics will be held in 2012.
Gabriel was director general of the World Athletics Championships in Paris in 2003 and chief operating officer of the unsuccessful Paris 2012 Olympic bid.
