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In our on-going reportage of the Youth Olympic Games, the latest update is that Singaporehas won the bid to host the 1st Games in 2010, beating out Moscowin the final bid.

“This is a key moment for the Olympic Movement,” said Rogge to journalists present in Lausanne. “Singaporehas put together a very exciting project. Hosting the Youth Olympic Games for the first time is a great responsibility, and I have every confidence in the team in Singapore. I have no doubt that their professionalism and enthusiasm will be instrumental in the staging of successful Youth Olympic Games in 2010.”

“The Youth Olympic Games are the flagship of the IOC’s determination to reach out to young people. These Games will not only be about competition. They will also be the platform through which youngsters will learn about the Olympic values and the benefits of sport, and will share their experiences with other communities around the globe. We are looking forward to joining in the celebration in Singaporein 2010,” Rogge added.

Ironically, as Label Networks has noted in previous stories, the actual events of the Youth Olympic Games have yet to be determined. In addition, the sports for possible inclusion have to fall under “recognized” sports organizations of the Olympic Committee to be considered. So, for example, while skateboarding is being considered, it will be umbrella-ed under Cycling -which the IOC “recognizes.” The other ill-conceived concept is that the Youth Olympic Games are for 14-18-year-olds. While this may seem like a grand opportunity for young people, it may also sabotage the real Olympics in that many of the top athletes are within this age group, i.e., gymnasts, divers, and so on.

Generally, the concept of the Youth Olympic Games is to provide new relevancy for the IOC and Olympics overall, however the IOC, an antiquated institution with decision-making that takes far too long in today’s world, continues to move in directions that are questionable for bringing about change and cred to the Olympic movement.

To read more about Label Networks’ in-depth coverage of the Youth Olympic Games and youth culture and sports, search Olympics in Label Networks’ directory.

Quiksilver

In other sporting news, Quiksilver announced last week that President and Director of the Company Bernard Mariette will resign to pursue other interests (rumors say he could be buying out Rossignol), and CEO Bob McKnight will take over the additional responsibilities of President. This comes at a time when Quiksilver is trying to increase confidence among investors and increase revenue and reduce exposure from primarily it’s failing snow sports initiatives, namely Rossignol. Quiksilver has announced that they are bringing on J.P. Morgan to conduct the process of the sale of Rossignol. Quiksilver has stated that they will be going back to their core brands and concentrating on Roxy, Quiksilver, and DC Shoes.

As we’ve noted at Label Networks and youth culture consumer preferences, Quiksilver in the past has moved “older” in that older demographics 25 prefer the brand in higher percentages than younger demographics, whereas Roxy has moved younger, with higher preferences among 13-14-year-olds than what their target core market supposedly is. DC Shoes however, is the brand that tends to cross into a more core skateboarding culture, with a wider range of preferences among youth culture age groups which in the end may be a saving grace for the company overall.

For more information about the Quiksilver brands’ ranking among 13-25-year-olds in North America, Europe, Japan, and China, contact info@labelnetworks.com; (323) 630-4000 for access to Label Networks’ Premium Global Youth Culture Subscription 2008.