Lausanne, 7 January 2020 – Two days before the start of the 3rd Winter Youth Olympic Games, the Lausanne 2020 Organising Committee has now confirmed all its athletes’ quotas and is happy to announce some key, interesting facts about the delegations that will take part in the event, from January 9 to 22, 2020.
Largest number of athletes at a Winter Youth Olympic Games
1,872: approx. 40% more than the last edition four years ago,
This has been made possible thanks to the new "two-wave" of athletes’ system
First gender equal Winter Youth Olympic Games
An event programme featuring the same number of women than men, for the first time ever for a Winter Olympic event
Largest number of National Olympic Committees (NOCs) at a Winter Youth Olympic Games
79: that’s eight more than the last edition, four years ago
12 NOCs participating for the first time at a Winter Youth Olympic Games
Albania, Azerbaijan, Ecuador, Haiti, Hong Kong (China), Kosovo, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Trinidad & Tobago
The 10 largest delegations
Switzerland (112), Russian Federation (107), United States of America (96), Germany (96), Canada (81), Czech Republic (77), Japan (74), Italy (69), Austria (64), France (61)
5 new events
Women’s Nordic Combined (Individual Normal Hill/4km), Women’s Doubles Luge,
Ice Hockey Mixed NOC 3x3 Tournament, Freeski Big Air, Snowboard Big Air
1 new sport
Ski Mountaineering (host site: Villars) with five events: Women’s and Men’s Individual, Women’s and Men’s Sprint and Mixed NOC Relay
The Swiss delegation in Lausanne 2020 will be the largest with 112 young athletes from 21 cantons and 15 of the 16 disciplines on the programme. With 43 talents, the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation will have the largest group within the Swiss team. As the host nation, the Swiss delegation participating in Lausanne 2020 is larger than in the first two editions of the Winter Youth Olympic Games combined (26 Swiss athletes in Innsbruck 2012 and 48 in Lillehammer 2016). The complete list of Swiss team athletes is available here.
Virginie Faivre, President of Lausanne 2020: "Being qualified to participate in the Games is the first and one of the most important moments in a young athlete's Olympic adventure, an unforgettable moment. We are ready to welcome these 79 NOCs and their teams here in Lausanne and we look forward to declaring the Games open on January 9th!"
About Lausanne 2020
The Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games will take place from 9 to 22 January 2020 with approx. 1,880 athletes (15-18 years old) from 79 countries. The competitions will take place in the cantons of Vaud (Lausanne, La Vallée de Joux, Leysin, les Diablerets, Villars), Valais (Champéry), Grisons (St. Moritz) and neighbouring France (Les Rousses, Les Tuffes stadium).
For more information on Lausanne 2020, please visit www.lausanne2020.sport
Press Contact Lausanne 2020
Media team – press@lausanne2020.sport
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