Vuokatti (Finland), April 11, 2016 – The EOC Evaluation Commission have visited the 2021 Winter European Youth Olympic Festival candidate, Vuokatti-Ruka, Finland. After having hosted a winter EYOF in Vuokatti in 2001 and a summer EYOF in 2009 in Tampere, the Finns are back with their candidacy of Vuokatti together with Ruka for 2021.
The Evaluation Commission spent three working days with the bidding team representatives and was able to visit proposed competition and non-competition venues, and to discuss the bid project. The centre of the EYOF will be Vuokatti, and it is important to mention, for those who remember the 2001 EYOF, that this great place has seen continuous development and has changed a lot since then.
The EYOF bid also proposes hosting some events in Ruka, a sport resort located about 300 km from Vuokatti close to the city of Kuusamo. This proposal is being evaluated. The Evaluation Commission members and the Bidding Committee members discussed some potential adjustment in order to make the bid perfect. The Bidding Committee must submit its final Bid file by the end of August 2016.
Evaluation Commission members Joe Cassar, Giuseppe Gianfreda and Katerina Nycova left Vuokatti with positive feelings and the conviction that the 2021 EYOF bid is a very good project with potential to host a great winter Festival.
The EOC is very pleased that the NOC of Finland has made its application and is ready to host a third EYOF in the country of a thousand lakes. Finns are excellent winter sport organisers and winter sports are in their genes.
The election will take place at the EOC General Assembly in October 2016 in Minsk.