POSTED: Saturday August 14th 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Antoine Dénériaz congratulates and encourages the French winner of the "Young Reporters" competition for the YOG

The YOG is taking place in Singapore August 14-26

Present at the French NOC headquarters for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) French team meeting, Antoine Dénériaz, 2006 Olympic Downhill Skiing Champion and Ambassador for Annecy 2018, congratulated and encouraged Elodie Guégan, a young French athlete and journalism student, who has been selected by the IOC to cover the event in Singapore as a “young reporter”, along with 28 other young adults from all over the globe.

Antoine Dénériaz, one of the French sporting ambassadors who will accompany the group of athletes to Singapore, takes his role very seriously. “The first YOG are a great new venture because young people are the natural future of sport and the Olympics. This is our chance to give them a taste of the Olympic values - respect, friendship, excellence - and to allow them to live this unique experience, mixing sport, culture and universality. Integrating youngsters and their concerns into the organisation of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is a key part of what we are putting into place with the Annecy 2018 bid. We hope to be able to create and put forward an ambitious youth programme.”

Travelling to Singapore with the other young French athletes, injured Elodie Guégan will not compete in the games. A journalism student at the INSEP (National Institute of Sport and Physical Education), who follows joint sporting and professional studies, Elodie was chosen by the IOC to cover the event as part of the “Young Reporters” programme. This initiative, which involves 29 youngsters aged 18 to 24 years from all over the globe, is an integral part of the “culture and education” programme set up for the YOG, offering practical experience of the journalism profession during the event with guidance provided by international professionals.

After having taken part in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing as an athlete, Elodie Guégan is thrilled to be able to experience the YOG from the point of view of the media. “It’s a great pleasure and I am extremely proud to have been selected by the IOC to take part in this programme. It is a fantastic opportunity to concentrate more on my journalism studies, especially in the year that I am injured, and during this incredible event, the 1st Youth Olympic Games! I’m very lucky, and I’m going to encourage the young athletes to make the most of every moment and to simply enjoy themselves to the full!”

Antoine Dénériaz said he is “very pleased to meet Elodie and to be able to accompany her to Singapore,” adding, “I am, of course, here to share my Olympic experience and to give her advice if she needs it.” Aware of the difficulty some athletes can have at the end of their sporting career to find a new path, he encourages Elodie “to make the most of this experience, which is an original and interesting way to combine a sporting career and a new profession.” 

##

Youth Olympic Games:
- First edition, held in Singapore from 14th to 26th August 2010
- 3,600 athletes aged between 14 and 18 years, from 205 national Olympic committees
-The French team comprises 61 athletes competing in 18 disciplines

Élodie Guégan
-French middle-distance athlete, born 19th December 1985;
-2008: Qualified for the Beijing Olympic Games in the 800m (1min58s93), she reached the semi-finals, but was forced to stop due to injury;
-2007: French 800m Champion and silver medallist in the European Athletics U23 Championships;
-Currently injured, she is focusing on her journalism studies. She has done work experience at “L’Equipe” newspaper and studies at the INSEP. She hopes to return to competition next winter.

# # #

---

Keywords · Youth Olympic GAmes · YOG · Singapore 2010 · Antoine Deneriaz · Annecy 2018

---

Name: Alexandra Carraz
Organization: Annecy 2018
Email:
Phone: + 33 (0)6 22 86 73 12
URL: http://www.annecy2018.com/fr/

---

Please refer all questions to the company listed above issuing the press release. SFC will not be able to assist you with any inquiries and disclaims any content in these press releases.