Modern venues come to life, other centres benefit
The largest youth sports event in the Czech Republic will take place in Liberec, and other centres of the Liberec Region, between February 12th and 19th, 2011. Its participants will compete in eight disciplines: Ice Hockey; Figure Skating; Cross Country Skiing; Ski Jumping; Nordic Combined; Alpine Skiing; Snowboarding; and Biathlon.
After the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 2009, the modern Liberec venues of Ještěd and Vesec will be used for another important international event. Liberec will be the centre and complete background of this festival. However, some other natural centres of winter sports in the Jizerské Mountains and the following regions will come to live as well: Jablonec nad Nisou; Rejdice; Harrachov; Česká Lípa. Moreover, in 2010, the Liberec Region will be the host of an extensive general rehearsal for EYOWF: the IV. Winter Olympic Games for children and young people in the Czech Republic.
Centres and venues for individual sports disciplines:
| Alpine Skiing |
Liberec |
Ještěd |
| Cross Country Skiing |
Liberec |
Vesec |
| Ski Jumping |
Liberec |
Ještěd |
| Nordic Combined |
Liberec |
Ještěd, Vesec |
| Ice Hockey |
Liberec |
Tipsport Arena |
| Figure Skating |
Liberec |
Tipsport Arena |
| Biathlon |
Jablonec nad Nisou |
Břízky |
| Snowboarding |
Rejdice |
Snowpark |
Goals of the EYOWF 2011 Project
- Quality organisation of the 2011 Festival, including sports-technical, social, and financial issues;
- Presentation of both Liberec Region and Czech Republic; promotion of Czech culture and hospitality;
- Involvement of public; sports environment; and clubs and companies in preparation and organisation;
- Education of children and youth within the accompanying educational programme for schools, focused on basic Olympic values; Fair play; tolerance; solidarity; mutual understanding and friendship;
- Motivating children and youth to sports activities and meaningful fulfilment of their leisure time activities;
- Creating optimal conditions for young talented Czech athletes and support of their careers;
- Exploitation and potential improvement of sports facilities infrastructure;
- Stimulus for tourism and travel industry in the region;
As time goes by
September 2006: Liberec competed to organise the 10th European Youth Olympic Winter Festival 2011.
September 2006: Representatives of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) visited Liberec and other centres in the region, carefully inspecting all suggested sports and participant facilities. They appreciated the nearness and accessibility of individual venues.
December 2006: At its meeting in Brussels, on December 9th, the Association of European Olympic Committees selected Liberec as the organiser of the 10th EYOWF 2011.
June 2007: Representatives of the Liberec Region, Czech Olympic Committee, and the Association of European Olympic Committees signed a contract, which defines the involvement of individual parties in the event’s organisation.
November 2007: The Liberec Region approved the candidacy for the organiser of the IV. Winter Olympic Games for children and youth of the Czech Republic. It takes place from January 31st to February 5th, 2010, and simultaneously serves as general rehearsal for the EYOWF 2011.
November 2007: The Liberec Region announced an art competition for students of art schools and colleges to create the logo for the 10th EYOWF 2011.
March 2008: The creator of the winning logo is Veronika Vysloužilová, studying at the Applied Arts School and College in Jablonec nad Nisou.
May 2008: At the seminar in Sorrento, the EOC appointed a coordination commission for supervising the preparations of the 10th EYOWF 2011; Janko Dvoršak from Slovenia was appointed the committee Chairman.
August 2008: Based on a tender, the Liberec Region was selected organiser of the IV. Winter Olympic Games for children and young people of the Czech Republic by the Czech Olympic Committee.
October 2008: The first inspection stays of the EOC coordination commission in Liberec and other sports venues of the EYOWF 2011.
April 2009: The Organising Committee launched the recruitment of volunteers who will participate in the preparations and over the course of the Festival. The EYOWF Team will be comprised of some 500 members.
May 2009: The results of an exclusive survey, carried out by Factum Invenio for the Organising Committee and the Liberec Region, were published. 777 students from twelve secondary schools in nine towns in the Liberec Region answered questions concerning their free time activities. The results were used as the basis for the creation of the accompanying programme to support EYOWF 2011 among pupils and students in primary and secondary schools of the Liberec Region.
July 2009: A delegation of the Organising Committee and the Liberec Region took part in the Summer Festival 2009 in Tampere. The aim of the visit was to obtain experience with the organisation of such an event and get to know the sport venues and the facilities.
August 2009: The Organising Committee in cooperation with European Olympic Committees (EOC), host cities and the Czech Olympic Committee managed to compile the complete medal history for each of the disciplines in all the past nine years of the Winter Festivals.
September 2009: The ceremonial launch of a year-and-half long accompanying programme for primary and secondary schools to support EYOWF 2011 called “vyCOOL se!” took place. The aim of the programme is not only to attract young people to the unique atmosphere of EYOWF 2011, but also motivate them to do physical exercise and sports through interesting activities.
September 2009: The President of the Liberec Region Stanislav Eichler named Roman Kumpošt, a skiing official and diplomat, the honorary president of the EYOWF 2011 Organising Committee.
November 2009: The EYOWF 2011 Organising Committee successfully passed a detailed check on the state of preparations during an inspection visit by Janko Dvoršak, Chairman of the EOC Coordination Commission for the EYOWF 2011.
November 2009: Representatives of the EYOWF 2011 Organising Committee presented the state of preparations at the EOC 38th General Assembly in Lisbon. On an international scale, the Czech Republic is seen as a experienced organiser.
December 2009: The European Union awarded EYOWF 2011 with a financial grant of € 2 million (more than 52 million crowns). The Festival thus became the first sporting event in the history of the Czech Republic to be co-financed by European funds.
To find out more about the concept of the EYOWF 2011 organisation, see here.