The Australian Youth Olympic Festival (AYOF) is the largest Australian multi-sport event for youth aged 13 – 19 years.

The AYOF is an initiative of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) following the success of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The AOC is contributing $2.7 millions in funding towards the 2007 AYOF. The festival has previously been held in 2001, 2003 and 2005 enabling young athletes across Australia to compete with each other and international athletes from over 20 nations.

The AYOF’s mission is to discover future Olympic Champions, provide them with an environment reminiscent of an Olympic Games and promote the Olympic ideals of fair play, honesty and pride in your country.

A legacy of the AYOF is well established with 27 Australian athletes and 22 international athletes from the 2003 and 2005 festivals competing in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. A total of 8 medals for Australia were won by AYOF graduates comprising 3 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze. The festival’s status is growing in strength as the local and international media are introduced to elite young athletes from across the globe.

Since the inaugural AYOF in 2001 nearly all the Summer Olympic Games sports have been featured on the sport program on a rotational basis.

In January 2007 we will see for the first time Sailing, Football and are excited to introduce two Winter Olympic Games sports, Figure Skating and Short Track Speed Skating.

The AOC looks forward to presenting the biggest Australian Youth Olympic Festival in January 2007. We encourage all Sydney-siders and visiting guests to support and cheer these elite young athletes, as they prepare themselves for the world stage and their journey to become future Olympians.

The Arts Unit, NSW Department of Education & Training will once again be presenting the Opening Ceremony. The best of the 2006 Schools Spectacular featuring the achievements of students from public schools across NSW will be presented. Following the success of the previous festival’s Opening Ceremonies spectators will witness the talents of Australia’s elite youth entertainers.

The Opening Ceremony will feature the Olympic elements and traditions of an athlete’s parade, athlete and officials oaths, lighting the festival flame and raising the Olympic flag.

It will be a captivating combination of youth in performance and youth in sport. This will be the only ticketed event of the festival with proceeds going towards the costs of the production.

Olympians are nominated by their sport and endorsed by the AOC Athletes’ Commission. An ambassador’s role is to raise the profile of the AYOF and be a role model and mentor for the AYOF competitors.

The ambassadors' role is to pass on their experiences of attending an Olympic Games including the feeling of representing your country, living in the village, being a team-mate and competing on the world stage.

The Live Clean Play Clean Drug Education Program and ASPIRE messages will be spread by the ambassasors to help the AYOF athletes develop an appreciation for the values, spirit and philosophy of the Olympic movement.

As well as attending training and competition sessions the ambassadors will mingle with the athletes at the village, during meal times and will play a role in the Opening Ceremony.

• To support the mission of the International Olympic Committee by providing an environment free of discrimination, a spirit of fair play and education of youth in sport.
• To support the Australian National Sporting Federations to provide the highest level of competition standards to talented young athletes at a multi-sport event.
• To provide Olympic experiences to young athletes by providing a memorable Opening Ceremony, living in a village environment, undergo drug testing and receive medals in the tradition of the Olympic Games.
• To educate athletes on the benefits of the AOC’s Live Clean Play Clean drug education program.
• To showcase the world class competition venues built for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
• To ensure all athletes, officials, members of the workforce and spectators gain a positive and friendly experience from the festival.

• 17-21 January 2007
• 5 days of competition
• 2,200 athletes & officials
• 23 invited nations
• 16 sports
• 190 events
• 1299 medals
• 10,000 spectators
• All sporting events free 

There are sixteen sports in the fourth edition of the AYOF.

• Athletics
• Badminton
• Canoe/Kayak (flatwater & slalom)
• Cycling (track & road)
• Diving
• Figure Skating
• Football
• Gymnastics
• Hockey
• Rowing
• Sailing
• Shooting (clay target)
• Short Track Speed Skating
• Swimming
• Table Tennis
• Taekwondo

For a complete Summary of Sport Participation in the AYOF click here.