Lausanne, 3rd February – The International Olympic Committee has just announced an impressive list of over 100 inspiring young people who will serve as Young Ambassadors for the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games (YOG), which will take place next 16th 28th August.
The list, which includes 36 Europeans (see list below ) features active athletes, including Olympians and YOG alumni, sports coaches, students and young professionals, all aged between 18 and 25 . Despite coming from all walks of life, the Young Ambassadors, who were nominated by their National Olympic Committees, have one thing in common – a desire to live by the Olympic values, and to inspire and empower young people to do the same.
Following the success of the programme during the first Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, in 2010, and first Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck, in 2012, the number of Young Ambassadors has increased from 30 and 33 respectively to 105 in Nanjing. The programme demonstrates just one of the elements of the YOG which make them such a unique event, along with the Young Reporter and Athlete Role Model initiatives.
As well as promoting the YOG and the Olympic values in their countries, the role of the Young Ambassadors will be to help the athletes of their national teams get the most out of their YOG experience. They will encourage them to interact with people from different sports and backgrounds, to soak up new cultures and to take part in a unique programme of activities and workshops, featuring sessions on healthy eating, injury prevention, anti-doping, careers in sport and media training. The lessons learned will equip the athletes with the sports skills to perform to the best of their ability on the field of play, and the life skills to be true ambassadors of their sport off the field of play, inspiring young people in their communities to get active and embrace the values of Olympism.
The Young Ambassadors will gather in Nanjing from 25th to 28th March for a four-day seminar, when they will be fully briefed on their role, test out some of the workshops and activities that will be available to the athletes during Games times and experience Chinese culture.

Europeans Ambassadors:
AUT: JANISCH Stefan,Tennis Coach and Snowboard Instructor, Studying P.E. and Computer Science
AZE: MAMMADOVA Arzu, Football, Studying Philosophy, Social Projects Manager
BEL: PARIS Sophie, Skiing, Alpine, Lawyer, NOC Staff
BIH: BRANKOVIC Edin, Short?rack Speed Skating, Master’s Student of Sport and P.E.
BLR: SHPILEVSKAJA Anastasija, Tennis, International Relations Manager, NOC Staff
BUL: DIKOV Damyan, Basketball Coach, Sports Degree
CRO: GRGIC Danijela, Athletics, 400m, Studying Kinesiology
CYP: TRIKOMITI Chrystalleni, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Olympian?London, Law Student
CZE: MEJDRICKA Klara, Volleyball, Studying Sports Management
DEN: DALSGAARD Ann-Sofie Van Hauen, Football, nMarketing, NOC Staff
EST: LEHISTE Laura-Maria, Judo, Law Student
FIN: LEPISTO Laura, Figure Skating, Olympian?Vancouver
FRA: BOUHAIL Thomas, Artistic Gymnastics, Olympian?Beijing
GBR: BETTERIDGE Max, Football Coach, P.E. and Sports Coaching Degree
GER: GOMEZ ISLINGER Marlene Julika, Triathlon, Youth Olympian?Singapore, Media and Communication Degree
GRE: PAPAGEORGIOU Filippos Apostolos, Equestrian, Show Jumping, Studying Arts in Classics
IRL: EWART Leah, Hockey, Youth Olympian?Singapore
ISL: BENEDIKTSSON Bjarki, Football Coach, Engineering Student and Entrepreneur
ITA: SANTONI Elisa, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Olympian?Athens, Beijing, London
LAT: MARKSS Toms, Political Science Degree, PR Specialist with the Latvian Cycling Federation
LTU: OKULEVICIUTE Gintare, Rowing, Studying Veterinary Medicine
MDA: STRATU Ana Maria, Karate, PR Manager, International Relations Degree
MKD: BALABAN Nina, Shooting, High School Student
NED: SEESING Joyce, BMX, Studying Business Administration
NOR: SOMMERFELDT Torgrim, Basketball, Business Management Degree
POL: HOJNISZ Monika, Biathlon, Studying P.E.
POR: CATARINO Mariana, Swimming, Journalist and Audio-visual Producer
ROU: IMRE Emil, Short?rack Speed Skating, High School Graduate
RUS: PONOMAR Olga, Master’s in Television, Sports Journalist
SLO: MESEC Vanja, Handball, Physiotherapy student
SRB: KEBIC Aleksandra, Handball, Studying Organisational Sciences, NOC Staff
SUI: GISLER Lisa, Curling, Youth Olympian?Innsbruck, Psychology Student
SVK: FASUNGOVA Monika, Badminton, Olympian?London
SWE: NEVALAINEN Frida Margareta, Ice Hockey, Olympian?Turin, Vancouver, Pre-school Teacher
TUR: CAVDAR Giray, Tennis Coach, Corporate Recreational Games Coordinator
UKR: USYK Oleksandr, Boxing, Olympian?Beijing, London