Buenos Aires, Argentina to bid for 2018 Youth Olympic Games

Buenos Aires to bid for 2018 Youth Olympic Games

Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri along with the President of the Argentine Olympic Committee Gerardo Werthein formally announced Monday that the city will submit an application to bid for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will start accepting applications for the 2018 Games in September and interested cities will have until March 1, 2012 to apply.  The final election will be held in mid-2013 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

"As we are a model cultural city, we can be a model in sports. When there is passion, nothing is impossible. So we are all committed to this and expect to announce shortly that we have succeeded in the bid," the Mayor said during the announcement ceremony.

Buenos Aires has already been selected to host the prestigious 125th IOC session to be held in September 2013.  Most IOC members will be in attendance at that meeting to elect the 2020 Olympic host city.

Earier this year the IOC suggested that "several" cities were interested in applying to host these Games but so far only a bid from Monterrey Mexico has been visibly campaigning.

The inaugeral Summer Youth Olympics were held in Singapore in 2010 and the second Games are scheduled for 2014 in Nanjing, China.