eyof_final_report

1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION
In 2013, the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) was held
in the city of Utrecht. The festival, based on an idea of former
IOC President Jacques Rogge, already has a nice tradition
as take-off/starting point for great sport careers.
SUMMER EDITIONS EYOF
1991 Brussels (BEL)
1993 Valkenswaard (NED)
1995 Bath (GBR)
1997 Lisbon (POR)
1999 Esbjerg (DEN)
2001 Murcia (ESP)
2003 Paris (FRA)
2005 Lignano (ITA)
2007 Belgrade (SRB)
2009 Tampere (FIN)
2011 Trabzon (TUR)
2013 Utrecht (NED)
2015 Tbilisi (GEO)
2017 Gyor (HUN)
EYOF UTRECHT 2013
EYOF Utrecht 2013 was held from 14-19 July. During the
festival, 2,271 athletes competed for gold in nine sports:
athletics, basketball, handball, judo, tennis, gymnastics,
volleyball, cycling and swimming. It was the first time cycling
for girls took place at an EYOF. There were also more events in
athletics than at any EYOF before. The event was held at seven
different venues. In addition, a central meeting place, referred
to as the EYOF-Achmea House was set up in the centre of town,
at Neude Square. This in imitation of the Dutch hospitality
houses at Olympic Games.
EYOF Utrecht 2013 and EOC Flags on the Domtower
With the support of the Province of Utrecht, Utrecht did not
just want to offer the EYOF a platform on which young talented
athletes could excel during a well organised event. Utrecht also
wanted to turn the EYOF into an amazing experience for the
people that live in the city and visitors of the event. They wanted
to do so by emphasizing its social significance. Young talented
athletes and elite sports events encourage a lot of (young)
people to take up sports themselves.
Together with the official partner Achmea, a side-events
programme was set up in the run-up to the EYOF Utrecht 2013
to emphasize the social significance of sport. The name of this
side-events programme was the Achmea High Five Challenge
(Achmea H5C). This programme included a link to the Treaty
of Utrecht, to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Treaty
of Utrecht in 2013. The signing of this Treaty back in 1713 was
an important milestone for peace and collaboration within
Europe. Utrecht, as well as the rest of Europe, celebrated
this historic event in 2013.
NETHERLANDS OLYMPIC COMMITTEE & NETHERLANDS
SPORTS CONFEDERATION (NOC*NSF)
The Netherlands Olympic Committee has the philosophy
that sports bring us together. They strongly support their elite
athletes and teams, who inspire us to challenge ourselves.
In elite-level sports, it is their ambition to rank among the top-ten
of sports countries in the world.
UTRECHT – HISTORIC CITY WITH A BIG HEART
Utrecht, a city of unparalleled vitality. A medieval city centre
small enough to explore on foot, yet large enough to host
world-class festivals, fashionable shops, modern architecture
and fascinating museums. Friendly outdoor cafés and
restaurants, welcoming hotels, Utrecht has it all. It is only thirty
minutes from Schiphol airport and the whole of the Netherlands
is just a short journey away.
Famous
Facts and figures
• Utrecht is home to 163 nationalities, with a total of 320,000
inhabitants
There are over 300 sports clubs in Utrecht
• Utrecht University is the largest university in the Netherlands
(35,000 students)
• 228,000 passengers pass through Utrecht Central Station
each day
• Utrecht has a rich history dating back to Roman times
Utrecht people and icons
Anton Geesink (Olympic judo champion, 1964-2010)
Marco van Basten (soccer player, trainer and coach)
Wesley Sneijder (soccer player)
Dom tower; highest Dutch church tower
• Medieval harbour complex with canals, wharves and wharf
cellars through the city
• Adriaan Florenszoon Boeyens; the only Dutch pope ever
(Rome, 1522)
• Gerrit Rietveld and Rietveld Schröder house
(UNESCO World Heritage)
• Dick Bruna and Miffy the cartoon rabbit
PROVINCE OF UTRECHT
Utrecht is not only a city, it’s also a province with the
same name. In the heart of the country, the province is a hub
in the Netherlands. It’s a green region, with the natural area
of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug close to the city of Utrecht.
The province has the country’s highest educated population
and the biggest gross domestic product per capita. In fact the
European Commission named Utrecht as the most competitive
region of Europe for the second year running.
EYOF Utrecht 2013 was an initiative of NOC*NSF (Netherlands
Olympic Committee & Netherlands Sports Confederation) and
the Municipality of Utrecht. The EYOF fitted perfectly with the
ambitions of the city of Utrecht – and also of The Netherlands -
to organise international sporting events and raise the city’s elite
sports profile. Utrecht very much wants to be a city that provides
a platform for talent in the Netherlands in various fields, including
sports. Its well organised recreational sports facilities are an
example of such a platform. Together with its partners and
experts from the field, Utrecht promotes optimum interaction
between elite sports and recreational sports.
The following mission statement was agreed by EYOF
Utrecht 2013:
The successful organisation of EYOF 2013 in Utrecht by
providing a festive platform for young top-class sports
talent to shine and for The Netherlands to promote itself
as a genuinely sports-minded country with the ambition
and talent to organise large-scale sports events.
Cycling for girls: first time at an EYOF
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