Australian Youth Olympic Games Jan.14-18

The fifth Australian Youth Olympic Festival (AYOF) promises to be the biggest and best yet, with more sports, more competing countries and more aspiring Olympians than ever before.

The best young athletes from Australia and around the world will converge on Sydney to compete at the Olympic venues over five days of competition from January 14 - 18 2009. 

After a successful Beijing Olympics and a looming London Games, both China and Great Britain are sending large teams. China is sending the biggest team - 273 athletes and officials. Great Britain - 190, New Zealand - 229 and Japan - 117.

Australia will field a team of 660 athletes and officials. Many of these athletes will go on to wear the green and gold in London, some at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

In total, 1550 athletes from 27 countries will compete across 17 sports.

Athletics, gymnastics, swimming, diving, hockey, archery and fencing will all be contested at Sydney Olympic Park. The number of team sports on the program has increased from two to four, including basketball, hockey, football and water polo.

In the individual sports, triathlon makes a return to the competition program. The sport was last contested at the 2001 AYOF, when the current Olympic gold medallist Emma Snowsill won the gold medal.

While athletes from Chile, Norway and Kazakhstan will compete at the Festival for the first time. Chile is sending a male football team, Norway a beach volleyball team and Kazakhstan athletes to compete in canoe/kayak slalom.

Entry to all sporting events is free and makes for a great summer school holiday activity.

*Update* Results

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