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Modern venues come to life, other centres benefit
The largest youth sports event in the Czech Republic will take place in Liberec, and other centres of the Liberec Region, between February 12th and 19th, 2011. Its participants will compete in eight disciplines: Ice Hockey; Figure Skating; Cross Country Skiing; Ski Jumping; Nordic Combined; Alpine Skiing; Snowboarding; and Biathlon.
After the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 2009, the modern Liberec venues of Ještěd and Vesec will be used for another important international event. Liberec will be the centre and complete background of this festival. However, some other natural centres of winter sports in the Jizerské Mountains and the following regions will come to live as well: Jablonec nad Nisou; Rejdice; Harrachov; Česká Lípa. Moreover, in 2010, the Liberec Region will be the host of an extensive general rehearsal for EYOWF: the IV. Winter Olympic Games for children and young people in the Czech Republic.
Centres and venues for individual sports disciplines:
| Alpine Skiing |
Liberec |
Ještěd |
| Cross Country Skiing |
Liberec |
Vesec |
| Ski Jumping |
Liberec |
Ještěd |
| Nordic Combined |
Liberec |
Ještěd, Vesec |
| Ice Hockey |
Liberec |
Tipsport Arena |
| Figure Skating |
Liberec |
Svijanská aréna |
| Biathlon |
Jablonec nad Nisou |
Břízky |
| Snowboarding |
Rejdice |
Snowpark |
Goals of the EYOWF 2011 Project
- Quality organisation of the 2011 Festival, including sports-technical, social, and financial issues;
- Presentation of both Liberec Region and Czech Republic; promotion of Czech culture and hospitality;
- Involvement of public; sports environment; and clubs and companies in preparation and organisation;
- Education of children and youth within the accompanying educational programme for schools, focused on basic Olympic values; Fair play; tolerance; solidarity; mutual understanding and friendship;
- Motivating children and youth to sports activities and meaningful fulfilment of their leisure time activities;
- Creating optimal conditions for young talented Czech athletes and support of their careers;
- Exploitation and potential improvement of sports facilities infrastructure;
- Stimulus for tourism and travel industry in the region;
As time goes by
September 2006: Liberec competed to organise the 10th European Youth Olympic Winter Festival 2011.
September 2006: Representatives of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) visited Liberec and other centres in the region, carefully inspecting all suggested sports and participant facilities. They appreciated the nearness and accessibility of individual venues.
December 2006: At its meeting in Brussels, on December 9th, the Association of European Olympic Committees selected Liberec as the organiser of the 10th EYOWF 2011.
June 2007: Representatives of the Liberec Region, Czech Olympic Committee, and the Association of European Olympic Committees signed a contract, which defines the involvement of individual parties in the event’s organisation.
November 2007: The Liberec Region approved the candidacy for the organiser of the IV. Winter Olympic Games for children and youth of the Czech Republic. It takes place from January 31st to February 5th, 2010, and simultaneously serves as general rehearsal for the EYOWF 2011.
November 2007: The Liberec Region announced an art competition for students of art schools and colleges to create the logo for the 10th EYOWF 2011.
March 2008: The creator of the winning logo is Veronika Vysloužilová, studying at the Applied Arts School and College in Jablonec nad Nisou.
May 2008: At the seminar in Sorrento, the EOC appointed a coordination commission for supervising the preparations of the 10th EYOWF 2011; Janko Dvoršak from Slovenia was appointed the committee Chairman.
August 2008: Based on a tender, the Liberec Region was selected organiser of the IV. Winter Olympic Games for children and young people of the Czech Republic by the Czech Olympic Committee.
October 2008: The first inspection stays of the EOC coordination commission in Liberec and other sports venues of the EYOWF 2011.
October 2008: Official website www.eyowf2011.cz launched.
January 2009: The first issue of regular EYOWF 2011 newsletter came out in Czech. Among its recipients are members of the political and public life in the Czech Republic and the Liberec Region, Czech Olympic Committee, sport unions, secondary schools in the region and media.
January 2009: The initial press conference of EYOWF 2011 connected with the christening of EYOWF logo, attended by Stanislav Eichler, President of the Liberec Region, and Milan Jirásek, President of the Czech Olympic Committee.
February 2009: The Liberec Region in cooperation with the EYOWF 2011 Organising Committee initiated a unique survey in twelve secondary schools in nine biggest towns of the region. The survey supports special projects promoting sport, healthy lifestyle and the Festival itself, together with social and cultural events connected with it.
February 2009: Members of the Liberec Region and the EYOWF 2011 Organising Committee received the organisers' flag, symbol of the Youth Festival, in Szczyrk, Poland.
April 2009: The Organising Committee launched a volunteer recruitment campaign. The EYOWF TEAM, which will help with the preparations and organisation in the course of the Festival, will count some 500 members.
May 2009: The results of an exclusive survey, carried out by Factum Invenio for the Organising Committee and the Liberec Region, were published. 777 students from twelve secondary schools in nine towns in the Liberec Region answered questions concerning their free time activities. The results were used as the basis for the creation of the accompanying programme to support EYOWF 2011 among pupils and students in primary and secondary schools of the Liberec Region.
July 2009: A delegation of the Organising Committee and the Liberec Region took part in the Summer Festival 2009 in Tampere. The aim of the visit was to obtain experience with the organisation of such an event and get to know the sport venues and the facilities.
August 2009: The Organising Committee in cooperation with European Olympic Committees (EOC), host cities and the Czech Olympic Committee managed to compile the complete medal history for each of the disciplines in all the past nine years of the Winter Festivals.
September 2009: The ceremonial launch of a year-and-half long accompanying programme for primary and secondary schools to support EYOWF 2011 called “vyCOOL se!” took place. The aim of the programme is not only to attract young people to the unique atmosphere of EYOWF 2011, but also motivate them to do physical exercise and sports through interesting activities.
September 2009: The President of the Liberec Region Stanislav Eichler named Roman Kumpošt, a skiing official and diplomat, the honorary president of the EYOWF 2011 Organising Committee.
November 2009: The EYOWF 2011 Organising Committee successfully passed a detailed check on the state of preparations during an inspection visit by Janko Dvoršak, Chairman of the EOC Coordination Commission for the EYOWF 2011.
November 2009: Representatives of the EYOWF 2011 Organising Committee presented the state of preparations at the EOC 38th General Assembly in Lisbon. On an international scale, the Czech Republic is seen as a experienced organiser.
December 2009: The European Union awarded EYOWF 2011 with a financial grant of € 2 million (more than 52 million crowns). The Festival thus became the first sporting event in the history of the Czech Republic to be co-financed by European funds.
January 2010: From 31st January to 5th February, the organisers of EYOWF 2011 hosted a rehearsal in the form of the IV Olympic Days for Children and Youth of the Czech Republic 2010 (ODM 2010). There were 923 participants under 14 years of age from all regions of the Czech Republic competing for medals in 11 sport disciplines in 10 venues of the Liberec Region (Liberec, Jablonec nad Nisou, Harrachov, Česká Lípa, Kořenov-Rejdice).
March 2010: The EYOWF 2011 Organising Committee signed three important documents regarding othe rganisation of the Festival. The halls of residence of the Technical University of Liberec will turn into the Olympic Village and will host the medal ceremonies. The Clarion Grandhotel Zlatý Lev will become the official accommodation for VIP guests and the Tipsport Arena in Liberec will host the Opening and Closing Ceremony, the Ice Hockey tournament and the Figure Skating competition.
April 2010: Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee, confirmed his participation in the Opening Ceremony of EYOWF 2011. The meeting of the Executive Committee of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) presided over by Patrick Hickey will take place in Liberec on 12th-13th February 2011.
May 2010: EYOWF 2011 will be supported by eight talented young Czech athletes who have become the Faces for each of the disciplines on the Festival programme. These Faces will also take part in EYOWF 2011.
June 2010: The Festival organisers asked eight top Czech athletes to support young athletes and accept patronage over all the sport disciplines at EYOWF 2011. These Patrons are - Ondřej Bank (Alpine Skiing), Lukáš Bauer (Cross Country Skiing), Veronika Vítková (Biathlon), Roman Koudelka (Ski Jumping), Marek Schwarz (Ice Hockey), Pavel Churavý (Nordic Combined), Tomáš Verner (Figure Skating) and Michal Novotný (Snowboarding).
June 2010: Rampich the Icicle, the mascot of EYOWF 2011 was revealed at a gala press conference in Liberec. The christening was attended by the Patrons and Faces of the Festival, as well as representatives of the Liberec Region and the Czech Olympic Committee.
August 2010: A major competition called “Heart in the Heart of Europe” for secondary schools of the Liberec Region was launched. The students will represent artistically all 49 countries of the EOC. The competition is supported by the EU with 3 million Crowns.
September 2010: Thank to the enormous public interest in cooperating with EYOWF 2011, the EYOWF Team, consisting of 500 volunteers, has been completed six months before the Festival starts. There are also eight foreigners in the Team.
October 2010: After the first round of applications for EYOWF 2011, 49 European countries signed in. Only three countries will not participate: Azerbaijan, Malta and Portugal. There will be 1,529 members of the foreign delegations at EYOWF 2011.
November 2010: Liberec hosted the last vetting by the EYOWF 2011 Coordination Commission before the Festival starts. The members of the Commission, presided over by Janko Dvoršak from Slovenia, inspected the readiness of all the organisational departments. During the following meeting, the technical delegates carefully checked all the venues of the Festival.
November 2010: Organisers of EYOWF 2011 underwent the most complex and thorough inspection of readiness so far. A seminar with members of the National Olympic Committees from all over Europe carried out a close examination of the sporting infrastructure, the organisation and logistics and sent out a clear message that the Festival in the Liberec Region is ready.
December 2010: The organisers presented the medals which the athletes will be competing for during the Festival. The medals are made of glass and resemble shining diamonds. They were created by Barbora Hrubá, a student from the Higher Professional Art School in Nový Bor, who won the competition among art schools organised by the Liberec Region. 216 medals will be awarded during the Festival.
January 2011: A delegation consisting of Festival organisers travelled to Athens, where they received the Olympic torch from members of the Greek Olympic Committee. The flame was lit on the Panathinaiko Stadium, a historic site of ancient sport and location of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The Olympic Flame will shine during the whole European Youth Olympic Winter Festival 2011.
February 2011: From 12th to 19th February the 10th European Youth Olympic Winter Festival (EYOWF) 2011 took place in the Liberec Region. The Festival was participated in by 1,514 members of the NOC’s delegations from 44 European countries. Jacques Rogge, the President of the International Olympic Committee also attended the Opening Ceremony in the Tipsport Arena, Liberec.
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