Springboard to senior medals
The history of the European Youth Olympic Winter Festival dates back to the Italian resort Aosta, in 1993. The continental youth elite competed for medals in five disciplines: Alpine Skiing; Cross Country Skiing; Biathlon; Figure Skating; and Short Track.
Since then, many future stars introduced themselves during winter Festivals. They then became winners and medallists at the Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships, and World Cups. The EYOF and EYOWF statistics register the numbers of participants who consequently participated in either the summer or winter senior Olympic Games. Before the Peking Games in 2008, there were 442 of those athletes: 249 men and 193 women. The largest number of these representatives came from Russia (31), Slovenia and Spain (both 29), and Great Britain (28). 
The winners of the winter festivals and consequent celebrities of senior international sport became, for example: Alpine Skiers Janica Kostelič (Slov.); Anja Pärson and Anna Ottosson (both from Sweden); Michaela Kirchgasser (Aust.); Denise Karbon (It.); Mauro Caviezel (Switz.); Cross Country Skiers Marit Björgen (Nor.); Julija Čepalov (Rus.); Kristina Šmigun (Est.); Ski Jumpers Rok Benkovič (Slovin.); Janne Happonen (Fin.); Figure Skaters Jevgenij Pljuščenko and Irina Slucka (both Rus.); Sarah Meier (Switz.); Jelena Ljašenkov (Ukr.); competitor in Nordic Combined Jason Lamy Chapuis (Fr.), Snowboarder Paulina Ligocka (Pol.); and many others.
Eighteen future Czech stars were EYOWF participants and went on to the Winter Olympic Games; so it has been a very successful stepping stone for athletes. Their group contains Cross Country Skiers: Kateřina Hanušová; Zuzana Kocumová; Helena Erbenová; Ivana Janečková; Eva Nývltová; Martin Koukal; and Milan Šperl; Alpine Skiers: Petra Zakouřilová; Boris Zakouřil; Kryštof Krýzl; Filip Trejbal; Biathlonists: Magda Rezlerová; Tomáš Holubec; Michal Šlesingr; Ondřej Moravec; Ski Jumpers: Jan Mazoch; Ondřej Vaculík; and a Figure Skater Kateřina Beránková.
Organiser Cities:
| YEAR |
SUMMER FESTIVAL |
WINTER FESTIVAL |
| 1991 |
Brussels (Belgium) |
- |
| 1993 |
Valkenswaard (Netherlands) |
Aosta (Italy) |
| 1995 |
Bath (Great Britain) |
Andorra la Vella (Andorra) |
| 1997 |
Lisbon (Portugal) |
Sundsvall (Sweden) |
| 1999 |
Esbjerg (Denmark) |
Poprad (Slovakia) |
| 2001 |
Murcia (Spain) |
Vuokatti (Finland) |
| 2003 |
Paris (France) |
Bled (Slovenia) |
| 2005 |
Lignano Sabbiadoro (Italy) |
Monthey (Switzerland) |
| 2007 |
Belgrade (Serbia) |
Jaca (Spain) |
| 2009 |
Tampere (Finland) |
Szczyrk (Poland) |
| 2011 |
Trabzon (Turkey) |
Liberec (Czech republic) |
Winter statistics
1993 – AOSTA: 708 participants from 33 countries (Alpine Skiing; Cross Country Skiing; Biathlon; Figure Skating; and Short Track). Results here.
1995 - ANDORRA LA VELLA: 447 participants from 40 countries (Alpine Skiing; Cross Country Skiing; Nordic Combined; Figure Skating; and Short Track). Results here.
1997 – SUNDSVALL: 991 participants from 41 countries (Alpine Skiing; Cross Country Skiing; Biathlon; Ice Hockey; Figure Skating; and Short Track). Results here.
1999 – POPRAD: 819 participants from 40 countries (Alpine Skiing; Cross Country Skiing; Ski Jumping; Biathlon; Ice Hockey; Figure Skating; and Short Track). Results here.
2001 – VUOKATTI: 1,111 participants from 40 countries (Alpine Skiing; Cross Country Skiing; Ski Jumping; Biathlon; Ice Hockey; Speed Skating; and Snowboarding). Results here.
2003 – BLED: 1,242 participants from 41 countries (Alpine Skiing; Cross Country Skiing; Ski Jumping; Nordic Combined; Biathlon; Ice Hockey; and Figure Skating). Results here.
2005 – MONTHEY: 1,200 participants from 41 countries (Alpine Skiing; Cross Country Skiing; Biathlon; Ice Hockey; Snowboarding; and Curling). Results here.
2007 – JACA: 1,284 participants from 43 countries (Alpine Skiing; Cross Country Skiing; Biathlon; Ice Hockey; Figure Skating; and Snowboarding). Results here.
2009 – SZCZYRK: 1,620 participants from 47 countries (Alpine Skiing, Cross Country, Biathlon, Curling, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, Nordic Combined, Ski Jumping, Snowboarding). Results here.
Medal Table
|
Medal Table
|
|
Place
|
Country
|
Gold
|
Silver
|
Bronze
|
Total
|
|
1.
|
Russia
|
56
|
37
|
24
|
117
|
|
2.
|
Italy
|
23
|
23
|
14
|
60
|
|
3.
|
Norway
|
20
|
20
|
23
|
63
|
|
4.
|
Germany
|
17
|
19
|
19
|
55
|
|
5.
|
Austria
|
15
|
25
|
18
|
58
|
|
6.
|
France
|
15
|
18
|
18
|
51
|
|
7.
|
Finland
|
15
|
8
|
20
|
43
|
|
8.
|
Sweden
|
14
|
15
|
9
|
38
|
|
9.
|
Switzerland
|
10
|
18
|
15
|
43
|
|
10.
|
Slovenia
|
9
|
5
|
11
|
25
|
|
11.
|
Czech
|
8
|
11
|
11
|
30
|
|
12.
|
Hungary
|
7
|
4
|
4
|
15
|
|
13.
|
Netherland
|
6
|
5
|
6
|
17
|
|
14.
|
Poland
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
15
|
|
15.
|
Great Britain
|
2
|
2
|
6
|
10
|
|
16.
|
Belarus
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
6
|
|
17.
|
Spain
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
|
18.
|
Bulgaria
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
4
|
|
19.
|
Belgium
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
4
|
|
20.
|
Estonia
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
|
21.
|
Slovakia
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
4
|
|
22.
|
Crotia
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
|
23.
|
Ukraine
|
0
|
6
|
6
|
12
|
|
24.
|
Denmark
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
|
25.-27.
|
Georgia
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
|
25.-27.
|
Serbia
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
|
25.-27.
|
Lithuania
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
|
28.
|
Romania
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
4
|
|
29.
|
Izrael
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|