The winner will be voted on by the IOC membership with the winning city to be announced by IOC President Jacques Rogge in a live web cast on www.olympic.org provisionally scheduled for 21 February.
The Executive Board’s decision’s on the two finalists was based on an IOC Evaluation Commission report. Chaired by Sergey Bubka, the Commission assessed the five shortlisted Candidate Cities’ projects - Athens (Greece), Bangkok (Thailand), Moscow (Russia), Singapore (Singapore) and Turin (Italy). The report focused on the risks associated with the organisation of the Games with only two-and-a-half years remaining to plan and prepare to host the first edition of this new event.
Moscow Mayor and the bid’s Chairman Mr. Victor Luzhkov said: “This is indeed great news. We are very honoured to be selected by the IOC in the final stage of this process along with our respected contestant Singapore. But this noble competition will only be complete if we persuade the IOC to give Moscow the privilege and responsibility to host the inaugural Youth Olympic Games. We have all the necessary expertise in staging sports and cultural events and are ready to deliver what the IOC and the world are expecting, nothing less than a truly memorable experience and a global brand that will leave a lasting legacy to the Olympic Movement.”
Minister of Sport and double Olympic gold medal winner Viacheslav Fetisov noted: “We have worked very hard over the last months and now are focusing on the final vote. We will not let the IOC down, should they elect Moscow as host. The Federal Government is fully supporting Moscow’s bid and will continue to do all we can to bring the Games to Russia. I am confident the IOC will see that Moscow is the most qualified city in the world to truly ensure the sustainable legacy of the Youth Olympic Games”.
Singapore’s Minister for Community Development Youth and Sports, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan said: “We are glad that the IOC has recognised the high quality of Singapore’s bid. As a young nation and a small city, we are honoured to make the final shortlist. We offer the IOC the opportunity to create a new legacy, by showing how a small city-state can also be part of the exciting Olympic movement.”
The Youth Olympic Games aim to bring together talented athletes – age group 14 to 18 - from around the world to participate in high-level competitions but also to run, alongside the sports element of the event, educational programmes on the Olympic values, the benefits of sport for a healthy lifestyle, the social values sport can deliver and on the dangers of doping and of training to excess and/or of inactivity.
The first Summer Youth Olympic Games will gather approximately 3,200 athletes and 800 officials The sports programme will encompass all sports on the programme of the 2012 Summer Games with a limited number of disciplines and events.
