Speaking to insidethegames here today as the bid team played host to hundreds of young people to celebrate sport and culture - the last major local event to promote the bid ahead of the deciding vote in Lausanne on July 4, he said the turnout reflected the passion and support behind Glasgow 2018.

"I think it shows the enthusiasm and the excitement that exists, not just in Glasgow but also Scotland and the United Kingdom about bringing an event of the size and stature of the youth Olympic Games to the UK," Bush, who was joined by British double Olympic cycling gold medallist cyclist Ed Clancy, Glaswegian television personality Jenni Falconer and the Bid's Young Champions in the city centre, said.

"With eight days to go, it's really exciting now.

"We are just focusing our energy on the presentation.

"On the back of next year [the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games] in terms of all that's happening, 2018 would be the absolute cream on the cake."


Glasgow 2018 claimed it has engaged more than 1.5 million young people across Britain over the last year, and Bush explained this positive impact could be strengthened for the youth of Scotland and, indeed, the world if the city won the right to host the Youth Olympics.

"Last year was about inspiring a generation," he said.

"For 2014 we've seen huge regeneration in the east end of Glasgow and this continues that journey.

"It's about engaging with young people, young people are the future.

"Young people in the world are pretty disenfranchised at present.

"We need to connect with them.

"And it's not just about sport.

"The Youth Olympic Games is also about a culture and educational programme and we believe our programme and our proposal truly can have a global impact."

Clancy, a five-time world champion, said that Glasgow has "the ideal conditions for the Youth Olympic Games" and explained that now would be the perfect time to host the event after London 2012, where he won gold in the team pursuit.

"The timing is good after the home Olympics," he told insidethegames.

"There are thousands if not millions of inspired kids looking more towards these minority Olympic sports, like track cycling and gymnastics, other than the usual football and it makes sense to exploit their interest.

"Strike while the iron is hot."


He also added that the Youth Olympics is the perfect way to get young people into competitive sport and lays the foundations for a successful future career.

"I didn't get into racing until I was 18, I think I was about 19 years old by the time I took part in an international competition for Britain," Clancy said.

"And it's quite a daunting prospect representing your country and being part of a national team.

"If you can get those unnecessary nerves out of the way when you are young that's helpful.

"Being in a village environment, surrounded by new faces and operating efficiently as part of a team, it makes sense to hit it as young as they can.

"Sport is a great thing for young people.

"It teaches them how to work in a team, it teaches them how to set goals and targets and be disciplined and organised."

Scotland's Minister for Sport Shona Robison and Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson were also in the city centre to support the festivities, which saw schoolchildren taking part in activities, including dance, hockey, basketball, cycling and athletics.

"It's great to see so many young people out backing Glasgow's bid," Robison told insidethegames.

"It's a very vibrant and colourful day and the sun is shining as well.

"I think that says a lot about Glasgow's bid, which has really been formed by young people, they've been at the heart of it.

"It's fantastic to see young people so involved in the final push."


The Sports Minister added that Glasgow 2018 has "a very strong team and young people" going out to Lausanne for the IOC meeting next week and said they are going to the Swiss city to "win for Glasgow".

"We are going out to win for Glasgow," she said.

"Our bid is excitingly fantastic but also we have the expertise, the certainty of our venues being here and the ability to put on a good show – we know we can do that.

"We are going out to win in Lausanne."

Glasgow is up against Buenos Aires in Argentina and Medellín in Colombia in the race to win the rights to host the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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