The IOC is pausing the 2030 Youth Olympic process — the election of a host was planned for June — to “develop a youth strategy” and “look at what it is we want this event to be,” IOC President Kirsty Coventry said.
Coventry said the IOC remains “fully committed” to the next Youth Summer Games in Dakar, Senegal, from Oct. 31-Nov. 13 — the first Olympic event held on the African continent — and the next Youth Winter Games in Italy in 2028.
The Youth Olympics — for athletes between the ages of 14 and 18 — debuted with a first Summer Games in 2010 and first Winter Games in 2012.
The decision to pause the 2030 Youth Olympic process was made after what Coventry called “inconclusive results” from surveys asking National Olympic Committees and international sports federations how they view the Youth Games and if they see them as a pathway.
“We decided we need to pause and have a real reflection on why we’re doing the Youth Olympic Games, and we realized that across the movement, it’s very disjointed,” Coventry said. “There’s not a true north star of why we’re doing the Youth Olympic Games.”
Coventry said the IOC still wants to engage with young people and encourage them to take part in sport.
“We felt that it was the right time, instead of awarding any future (Youth) Games, to really look at what it is we want this event to be for us and what it is we want it to develop and how do we want to really and truly engage with the young audiences around the world,” she said.