Are Jr Olympic medalists actually "Olympic medalists"?

[TheIronLady]

I followed a link that promised to list all Olympic medalists for every event ever held: http://www.olympic.org/medallists-results

I was confused when I saw the most recent "Olympic" medalist is Zijun LI for bronze 2012. Is the Youth Olympics really considered by anyone to be "Olympic"? Are these somehow "Olympic medals"? Do we think the YGO will be held many more times? What does the IOC want it become? Obviously I am still skeptical.

[hanca]

Well, I can't comment on IOC's plans and whether Jr Olympics will happen regularly, but as far as I am concerned, if someone can now get worlds medal for results of other people's hard work (team event) although they wouldn't earn the medal if it was only their own effort that counts, I can't see a reason why Junior Olympics shouldn't count as Olympics. At least these juniors won their medals through their own effort.

[N_Halifax]

I don't think "Junior Olympic" medallists are the same thing as Olympic medallists per se, but the athletes who medal at events like this could still certainly proclaim to be Junior Olympic medallists. An interesting question to look at, as now that Sochi will be debuting an Olympic TEAM event, we are bound to see skaters whose team wins a medal advertising themselves in shows as Olympic medallists. They will be, after all.

[caseyedwards]

If the IOC gives out Olympic medals then that person is an Olympic medalist. You could say they are a jr Olympic medalist as to not give an impression they won a medal at the senior more famous olympics but they all have IOC Olympic medals.

[TheIronLady]

The Youth Olympic Games were inspired by an industrialist who was alarmed by the rising numbers of obese youth in the 1990s. He wanted to get more children off video games and into sports instead. I think this is boilerplate stuff since you could allow athletes 14-18 to compete in the real Olympics-- as many of them do. Also I don't think athletes 2-10 years younger provide better role models for children. That whole premise seems irrelevant, so there must be other agendas and goals for the Youth Olympics.

[leafygreens]

"Are Junior Olympic medalists considered Olympic medalists?"

I was going to say NO, until I saw the link goes to the official Olympic website. If the Olympic organization is going to say that Junior Olympic medalists are Olympic medalists, then they are, no matter what any of us say about it. I do think it is a bit disingenuous to not at least denote somewhere that it is the "Junior" level in the results, but this is how they want to do it, apparently.

Well, I can't comment on IOC's plans and whether Jr Olympics will happen regularly, but as far as I am concerned, if someone can now get worlds medal for results of other people's hard work (team event) although they wouldn't earn the medal if it was only their own effort that counts, I can't see a reason why Junior Olympics shouldn't count as Olympics. At least these juniors won their medals through their own effort.

Do you also feel that team swimmers, gymnasts and runners are getting to become Olympic medalists based off someone else's hard work? Even members of teams are putting forth some level of "own effort" that counts towards the team total. If it's such a problem in figure skating then equal outrage needs to be directed at every sport.

[TheIronLady]

It is weird the IOC website at this time does not seem to designate that Youth Olympic medalists were in the Youth division. It seems acceptable to include them in this search tool, but one does scratch one's head that there isn't a clear YGO or Youth division designation. They may not have received any feedback yet, and that may be all there is to it.

It is trivial, and I think the question it raised for me is: does the IOC really hope for the YGO to grow in popularity and notoriety? And would this be a reasonable hope? It is hard for me, perhaps, as skating-centric as my thinking sometimes is, to wrap my head around this question. I say this because for skating the 2012 YGO seems like it was well beneath "junior worlds" in significance.

[BigB08822]

As long as you distinguish between Jr. Olympic and just Olympic medalist then I see no problem. We have no issue doing this for World medalists vs. Jr. World medalists.

[hanca]

"Are Junior Olympic medalists considered Olympic medalists?"
Do you also feel that team swimmers, gymnasts and runners are getting to become Olympic medalists based off someone else's hard work? Even members of teams are putting forth some level of "own effort" that counts towards the team total. If it's such a problem in figure skating then equal outrage needs to be directed at every sport.

No, I don't feel the same about team swimmers, gymnasts and runners because the level in those sports is such that for them to get gold medal, they can't afford to carry 'dead weight'. They all have to perform strong otherwise they wouldn't get the medal. Whereas in skating if you have strong three disciplines, the fourth one can be pretty underaverage (for elite level) and they still may end up with a medal. That's not right. Look how strong Japan finished this year in the team event while they had only three disciplines! (nothing against Japan - but this shouldn't happen. That speaks volume about the level of competition if someone can do that well with only three entries. What next? Patrick Chan will be competing only with his short program at competitions because he doesn't need pointwise do the long program program?).

[JJS5056]

No, I don't feel the same about team swimmers, gymnasts and runners because the level in those sports is such that for them to get gold medal, they can't afford to carry 'dead weight'. They all have to perform strong otherwise they wouldn't get the medal. Whereas in skating if you have strong three disciplines, the fourth one can be pretty underaverage (for elite level) and they still may end up with a medal. That's not right. Look how strong Japan finished this year in the team event while they had only three disciplines! (nothing against Japan - but this shouldn't happen. That speaks volume about the level of competition if someone can do that well with only three entries. What next? Patrick Chan will be competing only with his short program at competitions because he doesn't need pointwise do the long program program?).

What? That's completely false.

In gymnastics, teams consist of either 6 or 5 gymnasts depending on the event, had in the team final, only 3 of those 6/5 compete each event. All 6 gymnasts receive medals regardless of whether they contribute to the final score.

In swimming and track, it's common for different athletes to compete in the earlier rounds, with th strongest being saved for the finals. All all receive medals.

[hanca]

What? That's completely false.

In gymnastics, teams consist of either 6 or 5 gymnasts depending on the event, had in the team final, only 3 of those 6/5 compete each event. All 6 gymnasts receive medals regardless of whether they contribute to the final score.

In swimming and track, it's common for different athletes to compete in the earlier rounds, with th strongest being saved for the finals. All all receive medals.

Only 3 compete in each event, but all three have to deliver, otherwise 'goodbye medal'. And if three compete in each event, that means that different three compete may compete in the the other event, and then there is the third and fourth event with again different combination of three from those 5-6 gymnasts... and therefore each of them usually compete in at least some event, and it the event they compete, they are usually pretty good. Ok, they have choice which three they won't to nominate for each of those events, but then those who are competing need to do pretty well if they want a medal.

Whereas in skating, although you can choose which of the dance team will compete for that particular country, and which lady, men and which pair, even then you seem to be able to medal even if your for example pair is completely useless. That's the bit which is different from swimming and gymnastics.

[leafygreens]

There are plenty of teams with "dead weight" that are not good enough to win a medal on their own.

[figuresk8302]

The youth Olympics are going to be held on a reoccurring basis with the next games being the Summer Youth Olympics 2014 in Najing China. The next Winter games will be held in Lillehammer in 2016.

[TheIronLady]

Do you think these games could become an event where future skating stars attend?

Right now even the Winter Universiade seems like it has attracted more depth.

[TheIronLady]

My biggest worry is they will start calling the Olympics "the Senior Olympics." This is confusing and maybe easily confused with the games held for elderly power walkers and bingo players.