The inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games here in Innsbruck is so far proving a success, just as the first Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore did two years ago.

Admittedly the event in Innsbruck is neither the size nor scale of Singapore 2010 but there is certainly the same fun atmosphere at all the sporting events and the unspeakably beautiful backdrop of the snow covered mountains in the Austrian city certainly rivals the impressive skyscrapers that have become a feature of the Southeast Asian city-state.

So while there are obvious differences, there are clear similarities, one of the most poignant of which is the continuing question of when will there be a Youth Paralympic Games?

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge, the main credited as coming up with the idea of these Youth Olympics, is adamant that the creation of such an event lies firmly with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

"Well as you know, the International Paralympic Committee is totally autonomous," he said when I asked him the question at a press conference.

"The Paralympic Committee does not take direction from the International Olympic Committee.

"We work very closely with them and we give them great support.

"But it is up to them to decide what they want to do."

For their part, the IPC admit that while it is something they are certainly considering, it is not a realistic goal right now because they are not, by their own admission, able to pump the huge financial resources into the event that the IOC are.

"It may happen one day but not now," the IPC chief executive Xavier Gonzalez told me the last time we spoke on the subject.

"The Youth Olympic Games is a great initiative from Jacques Rogge but evidently it is based on the ability the IOC has to be able to put together an event of such a big size in such a short time, which they did.

"We have not had any major discussions with the IOC about a Youth Paralympic Games.

"The IOC obviously focuses on its own Youth Olympic Games and has been totally respectful of the IPC in creating the first edition of the Youth Olympic Games.

"Even for an organisation like the IOC, it was a significant challenge to create the Youth Olympics.

"But for the IPC at moment, our main focus is on the Paralympic Games itself, which is still evolving."


Despite some disappointment that there is no Paralympic competition to enjoy at the Youth Olympics, Gonzalez is undoubtedly right to focus the resources of the IPC on the Paralympics and specifically London – which by all indications should be a phenomenal event both for London and for the Paralympic Movement.

The superb International Paralympic Day in Trafalgar Square last September provided a glimpse of just what might happen if you get young children trying out wheelchair basketball or meeting their favourite athletes.

Four time Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius of South Africa, who was one of the top stars in Trafalgar Square, has now become a household name and his mouth-watering T44 100 metres showdown with America's Jerome Singleton show prove every bit as enthralling as its Olympic counterpart when – providing he doesn't false start – Usain Bolt should be relatively untroubled by anyone other than his own world record of 9.58 seconds.


Throw into that Britain's biggest gold medal hopes, such as wheelchair racer Dave Weir and cyclist Sarah Storey, and the fact that that Britain should well finish in the top two on the overall medal table ,and get an exciting event that should enthral the home nation.

The event already looks likely to be sold out across the board in what would be an unprecedented feat and IPC President Sir Philip Craven has already stated that we could be in for something a bit special come London 2012.

"The year ahead has the potential to propel the Paralympic Movement to new unimaginable levels," he predicted in a New Year's Eve message.

"London is shaping up to match and maybe surpass what was achieved in Beijing, which is something I never thought possible.

"This is a big, big year, not just for the IPC but for the whole Movement, International Sporting Federations, National Paralympic Committees, Regions and founding federations.

"Together we can deliver something very special in London, and wouldn't it be fitting to deliver the best ever Paralympic Games in the country where it all started."

So while we may be left to wait some time for a Youth Paralympics, perhaps we shouldn't be too disappointment with London 2012 around the corner.

It will provide a true feast of Paralympic sport and just like the Youth Olympics; it will be able to turn relatively unknown teenagers into true superstars – just as the Beijing 2008 Paralympics did to certain 13-year-old swimmer by the name of Ellie Simmonds.

Tom Degun is a reporter for insideworldparasport and insidethegames who is currently attending the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck