Scottish Champion and Youth Tour of Scotland 2017 winner Alfie George has been selected to represent Team GB at the Győr 2017 European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF), it has been announced today.
The Festival will see around 3,000 athletes from 50 European nations come together to compete across 10 Olympic sports from 23rd-29th July. The athletes, who will all be aged 14-17 at the event, will compete in six events; canoe sprint, cycling, gymnastics, judo, swimming and tennis.
Alfie, 16, who won six gold medals at the Scottish National Youth and Junior Track Championships at the weekend, comes from Abernyte in Perthshire and rides for Discovery Juniors CC.
Also competing in the cycling competition is Elynor Backstedt, 15, who won the girls competition at the Youth Tour of Scotland this year.
Amelia Sharpe, 15, from Isle of Man, Ella Barnwell, 16, from Wales, Lewis Askey, 16, from Staffordshire and Sam Watson, 15, from West Yorkshire, also make up the Team GB cycling team.
With many athletes already working on the road to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, EYOFs play an important role in the development of young British athletes, helping them along the route to achieving their own Olympic dreams.
Team GB has a rich history of medal success at EYOFs, having won at least 20 medals in each of the previous 13 summer Festivals.
They provide crucial multi-sport event experience for young athletes, with over 50 athletes graduating from a summer EYOF with Team GB going on to compete at the Beijing 2008, London 2012 or Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The likes of Becky Adlington, Pete Kennaugh, Sally Conway and Nile Wilson all had their first taste of an Olympic-style event at an EYOF before winning an Olympic medal at senior level.
Paul Ford, Team GB Chef de Mission at Győr 2017 said:
“With just under a month to go until the start for Győr 2017 European Youth Olympic Festival, it’s great to officially welcome these 50 young athletes to Team GB. There’s a fantastic mix of sports in our delegation this year and some real pedigree among the athletes selected.
“Returning home from Győr with a haul of medals will be a great achievement for the team but the experience these athletes will get being part of a multi-sport event for the first time will be important and invaluable learning as they look to progress their sporting careers. We have seen a number of our senior Olympians go on to do great things after being selected for an EYOF and potentially some of the next generation of Team GB stars will be with us in Hungary.”
