Lausanne plans to hold Youth Olympic events in France

IANS
French President Francois Hollande (L) with International Olympic Comittee president Thomas Bach

Paris, May 7 (IANS) Swiss city Lausanne's bid committee for the 2020 Youth Winter Olympics announced that it plans to hold the ski-jumping, biathlon and Nordic combined events in neighbouring France.

The venue is set to be the Stade Nordic des Tuffes, located in Premanon, southeast France, in the Jura mountain, reports Xinhua.

"We want to organise a Youth Olympic Games which are sustainable and financially feasible in the long-term with regards to the sports infrastructure involved. Less than one hour commute from Lausanne, the Tuffes stadium is one of the leading centres for Nordic sport in Europe. It would be a shame not to use such a wonderful asset," Gian Gilli, head of sport and grassroots development for Lausanne 2020 bid committee, said on Wednesday.

The partnership between countries would be a first in the short history of the Youth Winter Games.

Lausanne is competing against Romania's Brasov in bidding for the hosting right of the 2020 Youth Olympics which the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will decide on July 31 during its 128th session in Kuala Lumpur.

Edited by Staff Editor