Lausanne, Switzerland, January 8, 2020: Due to the new "two-wave" system being rolled out at the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games, 1,872 young athletes will participate, reports Xinhua news. This marks a 40 percent increase from the last edition of the Winter YOG four years ago, the organising committee confirmed on Tuesday.
The 10 largest delegations are Switzerland (112), Russia (107), the United States (96), Germany (96), Canada (81), Czech Republic (77), Japan (74), Italy (69), Austria (64) and France (61).
Lausanne 2020 is the first gender equal Winter YOG. The event programme will feature the same number of women as men for the first time ever in Winter Olympic history.
The games will also have the largest number of National Olympic Committees at a Winter YOG – 79, eight more than the last edition in Lillehammer in 2016. Twelve NOCs are participating for the first time at a Winter YOG.
Lausanne 2020 has added five new events: Women's Nordic Combined (Individual Normal Hill/4km), Women's Doubles Luge, Ice Hockey Mixed NOC 3x3 Tournament, Freeski Big Air and Snowboard Big Air. A new sport, Ski Mountaineering, will also feature for the first time.
The Lausanne 2020 Winter YOG will take place from January 9-22 with athletes aged from 15 to 18 in attendance.
Source: Xinhua News