Buenos Aires 2018 and the Argentine Olympic Committee (COA) organised a series of week-long celebrations for Olympic Day, which concluded with a free mass public participation event in the largest green area of the capital.


The open air celebration event involved more than 5,000 people of all ages watching and taking part in more than 30 sports, including athletics, volleyball, archery, handball, basketball, gymnastics, fencing, rowing, judo and hockey.

With demonstrations and exhibition events run by leading Argentine athletes, sports instructors and trainers, the sporting experiences provided children and young people with access to a broad range of new sports.

Leading members of the COA and the Undersecretariat of Sports of Buenos Aires City also attended the celebration. 

Gerardo Werthein, President of the COA, said: "Buenos Aires 2018, Argentina's sporting community and all the people of the city are delighted and honoured to have participated in this Olympic Day event – a true celebration of the IOC and the values of Olympism.


"With our bid for the Youth Olympic Games in 2018, we want to show how we can also help connect the Movement with millions of new, young hearts and minds in Argentina and across South America.

"As one of the founding members of the IOC, our country has kept the Olympic spirit alive since 1894."

The Argentinian capital, which is a major tourist destination, faces strong competition for the Youth Olympic Games on five fronts - from Glasgow in Britain, Guadalajara in Mexico, Medellín in Colombia, Poznan in Poland and Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

The IOC will produce a short list of Candidate Cities in January 2013, before announcing the winning Host City in the summer of 2013.

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