Team USA Roster for Youth Olympic Games

The roster of young Team USA competitors heading to the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (next month, in Singapore) are now published. The U.S. Olympic Committee released the athlete roster on Friday.

As an Atlanta resident, I was happy to find several Georgia athletes among the selected students. Specifically, there are Youth Olympic athletes hailing from Conyers, Dublin, Leesburg, Powder Springs and Stone Mountain, Ga.

It was surprising and cool to also find that my hometown Edmond, Okla., will be represented by two local rising stars -- one in volleyball, the other in track (perhaps the YOG-bound Edmond high jumper is training on the Edmond Memorial High School track where I failed to clear a single high jump bar in the early 1990s).

Check out the USOC press release and YOG team roster online to learn the names of your hometown favorites. YOG opening ceremonies kick things off on Aug. 14.

Graphic via Sportcal

Singapore: Youth Olympic Games

The countdown continues to the debut Youth Olympic Games (YOG), set to take place in 92 days in Singapore.

During the Vancouver Games there were three YOG executives in attendance at the World Olympians Association gathering one evening, and it was a pleasure to learn more about this new event of the International Olympic Committee.

According to the YOG "99 Days" countdown press release, the inaugural YOG will include around 5,000 athletes from up to 205 national Olympic committees. There are 26 sports events to be contested, and culture/education initiatives are part of the festivities. I found the YOG FAQ section quite informative.

From what I've seen so far, this global event has some similarities to the U.S. Olympic Festival concept used by the U.S. Olympic Committee from 1978 to 1995, since the YOG is for younger athletes (though the USOF also included adult Olympians in some competitions, based on the level of athletes each national governing body sent to the Festival, the majority of competitors -- especially in the latter USOFs, tended to be high school athletes).

I haven't yet been to Singapore, but this event is of interest -- anyone out there got a few grand to send my way as "official sponsor of the five-ringed blogger" (LOL)?

Stay tuned for updates on YOG final preparation. And please write to me or comment if you know a specific YOG-ger (competitor heading to the YOG in Singapore).

Photo of skyline via this site. Map via WordTravels.com