The European Olympic Committees’ (EOC) European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) Commission met for the first time in 2024 in Reykjavik, Iceland on 4 April.
The winter and summer editions of the EYOF are held biannually and give young athletes aged 14-18 the opportunity to compete in an international multisport event for the first time.
Led by Chair and Executive Committee (ExCo) Member Ms Liney Halldorsdottir, the Commission were given presentations on the latest progress ahead of the Winter EYOF Bakuriani 2025 and the Summer EYOF Skopje 2025, as well as discussing potential future candidates for the 2027, 2029 and 2031 editions.
In addition, the EYOF Commission heard updates from other EOC Commissions, including the Athletes’ Commission and the safeguarding working group, which is focused on ensuring athletes at EOC events are able to train and compete in safe and secure environments.
The attendees were also given the chance to visit some of Reykjavik’s famous tourist spots and Ms Halldorsdottir emphasised the importance of meeting in-person, as well as the invaluable discussions that were had.
Ms Halldorsdottir said: “The EYOF Commission enjoyed a productive and interesting day of presentations and discussions during our meeting in Iceland. It is always important to meet in-person and the conversations that we have both during the meetings and with fellow Commission members informally undoubtedly leads to positive change.
“The EYOFs are a landmark moment for many young athletes as they compete in their first international multisport event and are exposed to different cultures and countries. We have seen many former EYOF participants go on to win medals at Olympic and European Games, and the EOC is committed to continue giving athletes this opportunity.
“We look forward to both the winter and summer editions in 2025 and already have a strong pipeline of potential hosts for editions further in the future.”
