The
2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games (German:
Olympische Jugend-Winterspiele 2012), officially known as the
I Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG), were an international
multi-sport event for youths that took place in
Innsbruck, on 13-22 January 2012. They were the inaugural
Winter Youth Olympics, a major sports and cultural festival celebrated in the tradition of the Olympic Games. Approximately 1100 athletes from 70 countries competed. The decision for Innsbruck to host the Games was announced on 12 December 2008 after mail voting by 105
International Olympic Committee (IOC) members. Innsbruck is the first city to host three winter
Olympic events, having previously hosted the
1964 Winter Olympics and the
1976 Winter Olympics.