London Youth Games set to unearth Olympic stars of tomorrow

The London Youth Games Finals Festival takes place at the end of June, inspiring the next generation of young athletes to have a more active lifestyle

Coming just a few weeks ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Finals Festival takes place at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the culmination of a season of grassroots competition featuring 30 different sports

In addition to the great sports, there’s a host of exciting activities at London Marathon Community Track and Copper Box Arena, providing a truly diverse and inclusive reflection of the London 2012 Olympic Games legacy.

LYG Foundation Chair Prof. Geoff Thompson MBE said: “The Finals Festival will provide an opportunity to engage, motivate and inspire young Londoners and their communities this Olympic and Paralympic year.

“The 2024 London Youth Games Finals Festival marks the culmination of months of intense competition by tens of thousands of young Londoners in over thirty sports. We're thrilled to host the Finals Festival at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, aiming to leave a lasting impression on participants and sustain the Olympic legacy.”

Encouraging young people to be active is fundamental, with research by Sported finding that 60% of young people surveyed had issues affording activity costs, exacerbating widening gaps in children’s activity levels.

Dina Asher-Smith, Raheem Sterling, David Weir and Alex Yee are some of the sporting legends who have achieved great things having previously taken part in the London Youth Games.

Alex Yee, Olympic gold medallist in the Mixed Relay Triathlon and former London Youth Games participant, said: ”Taking part in the London Youth Games was a special memory when I was younger and made me fall in love with sport even more than I already did.

“It was such a memorable competition, where I made lifelong friendships, learned valuable life lessons and really built my confidence to continue in sport and see how far I could go.”

Yee and Sir Mo Farah are two household names to have competed in London Youth Games’ Cross Country events in the past. More than 1,800 runners took part in the first series event on November 18, a Cross Country event on Hampstead Heath, featuring four age groups  contesting individual, team and overall medals.

LYG CEO, Andy Dalby-Welsh, underlined why the Games are so important for the capital’s kids: “At the London Youth Games, we passionately believe that sport should be accessible to all young Londoners, of all genders, ethnicities, beliefs, disabilities and backgrounds. 

“Our research shows that more than 90% of LYG participants are inspired to continue with their love of sport for the rest of their lives and that’s something we are incredibly proud of.

“With the Olympic Games just around the corner, we’re excited about the opportunity to encourage more young people to take part in sport in the months to come.”

The London Youth Games Finals Festival takes place on June 28-30.

For more information, please visit https://www.londonyouthgames.org/finals-festival/