Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games qualification places up for grabs

The Byte CII dinghy and Techno 293 windsurfer have announced the dates of their 2013 World Championships which will be the first world qualification events for the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

The inaugural Youth Olympic Games, Singapore 2010, offered young sailors, aged 15-16, moving up from the Optimist and junior classes an experience like no other at the pinnacle multi-sport event for young athletes.

Byte CII Youth Olympic Champion Lara Vadlau (AUT) seamlessly transferred her Optimist skills to the Byte CII to take glory, thrusting her into the international limelight. She subsequently made the transition to the Women's 470 and two years on from her finest moment in Singapore she was on the start line of the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition.

Like Vadlau, who sealed her country's spot at Singapore 2010 at the European Continental Qualification Event, young sailors will have the opportunity to qualify their country to Nanjing 2014 starting at the 2013 Byte CII and Techno 293 World Championships. The opportunity to attend an Opening and Closing Ceremony, live in an Athletes' Village and be a part of unique sporting experience is one not to be passed upon and competition for sailing's qualification spots will be hotly contested.

Of the 40 Country qualification places available in the Techno 293 – 20 boys and 20 girls - spots for three girls and three boys will be up for grabs at the Worlds in Sopot, Poland from 27 July to 3 August 2013.

Shortly after the Techno 293 Worlds, five boys and five girls will be challenging for the 60 country qualification spots available in the Byte CII and these will be snapped up at the Worlds in Newport, Rhode Island, USA from 24-28 August 2013.

Nations are able to qualify in all four of the sailing events in the Youth Olympic Games and with six further continental qualification events following the Byte CII and Techno 293 Worlds, the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games will feature the world's best sailors from each continent. At the Continental Qualification Events only nations within that continent will be eligible for YOG Qualification.

The Youth Olympic Games provides the perfect pathway from Optimist upwards and 2008 Optimist Worlds silver medallist and Boys Byte CII Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Champion Ian Barrows (ISV) knows exactly what it takes to be at the top, "At the Youth Olympic Games I learned that you need to keep yourself calm and focus on just doing a good job," said Barrows. "You can't think about the pressure or let the pressure get to you. I thought it was a privilege to represent my country at the Youth Olympics. I enjoyed meeting kids from other countries and getting to know them. I had a lot of fun at the Youth Olympic Games and I think that made me a better competitor."

With charter boats and boards being made available by the Byte CII and Techno 293 ISAF Class Associations at all the continental qualification events, which will be named shortly, the Youth Olympic Games will leave a lasting sailing legacy across the world.

About The Youth Olympic Games

The Youth Olympic Games brings 28 sports together in a unique multi-sport event for young athletes who are given a once in a lifetime opportunity to participate in high-level sporting competitions while also engaging in a Culture and Education Programme (CEP) focused on the Olympic spirit and Olympic values, skill development, well-being and healthy lifestyle, social responsibility and expression through digital media.

At the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, Singapore 2010, Ian Barrows (ISV) and Lara Vadlau (AUT) won gold on the Boys and Girls One Person Dinghy, Byte CII, whilst Mayan Rafic (ISR) and Siripon Kaewduang-Ngam (THA) took the honours in the Boys and Girls Windsurfer, Techno 293.

The same classes will be on show at the sailing event at Nanjing 2014 and will bring 100 of the finest young sailors, aged 15-16, together on Nanjing's Jinniu Lake.

For each of the four sailing events, there are seven Youth Olympic Qualification Events (YOQE). Competitors qualify their National Olympic Committee (NOC) at a YOQE, and the NOC will then select its competitor for that event by the 8 July 2014 deadline.

The seven YOQE for each event are made up of a World Championship and six Continental Qualification Events. At the Continental Qualification Events only nations within that continent will be eligible for YOG Qualification.

Full details of the qualification system including the continental quotas in English and French are available in the full qualification system document here.