What Is YOG Swimming About?

YOG is the abbreviation for the Youth Olympic Games, a version of the Olympic Games for minors. The very first Youth Olympic Summer Games was held in Singapore in 2010, timed to occur in the same year as the Olympic Winter Games. The Youth Games celebrate the same spirit and ethos as the Olympic Games and also aim to inspire young people in sport and in excellence.

  1. Entrants

    • According to the international swimming organisation Federation International de Natation (FINA), potential swimming entrants to the Youth Olympic Games have to succeed in national competitions before they can participate. For entry into the 2014 Games, examples of qualifying races for American swimmers include the U.S. Open and the Speedo Junior National Championships. As it is a youth competition, age restrictions are also in place. The swimming portion of the 2010 Games only allowed competitors who were born in 1993 or 1994.

    Swimming Styles

    • In the 2010 Games, swimmers could compete in various freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly races, and there was also a 200-meter medley along with medley and freestyle relay competitions. An important difference between the Olympic Games and the Youth Games is that there are many mixed gender events, and this includes some of the relay events in swimming.

    Sporting Objectives

    • The Youth Games aim to make international competition more accessible to young people and to allow them to meet other swimmers from different cultures. It also hopes to act as an inspiration for young people outside of the Games to get into sport and to highlight the different types of swimming and other sports available.

    Ethical Objectives

    • The Olympic values are excellence, friendship and respect, which the Youth Games organizers hope to foster in their swimming competitors. Through respect and friendship for other competitors, the Youth Games helps to promote mutual understanding and celebration of outstanding athleticism between the different countries. The Olympic Movement also tries to promote peace, environmental sustainability and the ability of women to participate in sport through its international athletic gatherings.