Does the United States Really Care About the Youth Olympic Games?

Any sporting fan who utilizes their right to break out of their shell and follow the Olympic Movement are aware of the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.

A daring few are courageous enough to follow the Paralympics. I am, of course, a keen example of this because I published a couple of pieces on the Ice Sledge Hockey tournament held in Vancouver several months ago.

But did you know that we also have a Youth Olympic Games?

Yes, we actually have an Olympiad for those who legitimately are young enough to compete for the real thing (read: China's women's gymnastics teams) but want to compete for someone their own size. Or age.

And so, this pint-sized version of the Summer Games was concocted in the halls of Lausanne a few year back, and the city of Singapore in the country of Singapore got first dibs to host this event for the kids this year.

I'm wondering why we aren't as dominant in these Olympics like we have been in other Olympiads when the only versions of the Games involved people of all ages and abilities. That is, the real thing.

I have a bone to pick with the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) for not keeping an official medal tally. If this is going to be legit, you have to keep records on something like this.

Obviously, the golds, silvers and bronzes that will be won at these Youth Games are nowhere close in stature to the actual ones that will be garnered in London in less than two year time, but at least keep something for the record.

Then again, given that this is Singapore—a first-world wannabe hampered by its hangings and canings, a one-party state of mind, legislation that effectively makes it an English-speaking People's Republic of China with less litter and more officials living on fines from its citizens—it shouldn't be any surprise.

God bless Wikipedia and Jimbo Wales. But there is one thing that also disappoints me, more so that SYOGOC not keeping a tally of the medals. Or maybe this is why.

As of today (the Youth Olympic Games this year run from August 12 through August 20), the United States—if you take into consideration the IOC convention for ranking teams by medals—is doing rather poorly: 18th place, with only one gold, six silvers and three bronzes.

Even the mixed teams are doing better (seventh place with four gold, silvers and bronzes between them) that the U.S.A., and mixed teams are nonexistent in the actual Summer and Winter Olympics!

No surprise that China hasn't missed a beat; they have 17 golds, nine silvers and two bronzes for a world-leading 28 medals. Singapore only has one silver and three medals to account for and is tied for 37th overall.

Never mind that on the hosts' end, numbers upon numbers of Singaporean students have been forced to attend these events, ticket sales had been sluggish, and that those who do usually do not stay for the entire session.

But this goes back to the question: are the U.S.A. even trying to impress or take the Youth Olympic Games seriously? Or is the real Youth Olympic Games side getting ready for London 2012?

It doesn't help matters for the States that the next Youth Olympics will be held in 2014 in Nanjing, and that China will more than likely hog the medal count once again with home field advantage in their red corner.

But even with the United States Olympic Committee having to bite the bullet and admit that world is catching up to them, one would think that they are taking an event like the Youth Olympic Games seriously.

Without a doubt, it's simply a shame that this is the example they are setting to the next generation of athletes who will look to make the USA the Olympic powerhouse that they have always been for so long.

A footnote: the USA finished 13th overall in the standings, with four golds, nine silvers and eight bronzes. It is the price they pay for not taking seriously an event with such a high magnitude as this.