IOC Appoints Youth Olympics Chief

The International Olympic Committee has appointed French sports administrator
Essar Gabriel as head of the Youth Olympics – the new grass roots version of the
main Games set to launch in 2010.

Gabriel begins work with the IOC on 1st September and will report to Gilbert
Felli, the IOC’s executive director of the Olympic Games.

Gabriel was director general of the world track and field championships in
Paris in 2003 and chief operating officer of Paris’ failed 2012 Summer Olympic
Games bid.

He leaves his post as a consultant on Tokyo’s bid for the 2016 Summer Games.

The Youth Olympics, to be launched in both the winter and summer format, will
be open to the 14 to 18-year old age bracket and will see some 3,500 athletes
competing in an array of Olympic sports.

The summer Youth Olympics is expected to cost about £15m and the winter
version around £10m.