Many athletes from Youth Olympic Games have made the Olympic podium as well, so states the IOC following an analysis of the recent Rio Olympics. Eighty medals were won in total by YOG athletes – 19 gold, 33 silver and 28 bronze. Two-thirds of these came from competitors who were part of the Singapore YOG class of 2010, with the remainder going to those who took part in the YOG Nanjing 2014.
Since their first edition in Singapore six years ago, the YOG have given promising athletes the chance to get an early taste of Olympic competition, standing them in good stead for the transition to the Olympic Games. At the Olympic Games London 2012, we saw this vision bear fruit, as 23 athletes who competed in Singapore won a total of 25 medals across 11 different sports. Four years later at Rio 2016, with a fresh batch of YOG alumni who gained valuable experience at the YOG Nanjing 2014, the overall medal haul achieved by YOG athletes more than tripled.
