The 18th Summer European Youth Olympic Festival concluded last weekend in Skopje. For the sixth consecutive edition, the event took place in a country that had never hosted it before. And North Macedonia rose to the occasion, like Hungary (2017), Azerbaijan (2019), Slovakia (2022), and Slovenia (2023) before it. More than 4.000 athletes and officials traveled for what was the largest edition of the EYOF to date. A moment that will be a landmark for many of them, as well as for the European Olympic Movement.
Over a million views on EOC TV
Italy dominated the final medal table with 50 medals, including 19 gold. France (38 medals, 15 gold) and Spain (33 medals, 10 gold) completed the top three. Forty delegations reached the podium, a record, confirming the vitality of European sport. Among them was Kosovo, which won its second medal in its history thanks to judoka Enise Zijade, who won a bronze. Several records were also broken in the under-3 category, notably by Estonian Allika Inkeri Moser in the pole vault (18 m).
After six days of competition, the EOC TV platform recorded 1,36 million views, further confirming its key role in increasing the visibility of the EYOF. The way people consume sport has changed dramatically in recent years, and EOC TV was introduced to bring the action directly to fans across Europe, on-demand, on any device., underlines Caro Mornati, secretary general of the European Olympic Committees, to Free Games. In the digital age, EOC TV is more important than ever. EOC TV hosts over 7.500 on-demand videos, totaling approximately 2.200 hours of content. Sports fans across Europe want to watch our events in the most convenient way possible, and EOC TV makes it possible. » The 2023 edition in Maribor had already reached 1,1 million views.
“Inspiring and uniting people across Europe”
Surrounded by " brilliant young athletes ", in a city " magnificent and historic ", the President of the EOC, Spyros Capralos, did not hide his enthusiasm for this Festival. These EYOFs are not just another event. They are the beating heart of the European Olympic Movement. " he insisted, recalling their role in building friendships and in starting " stories that could last a lifetime "This EYOF also served as a springboard for... Bahrain, which sent a delegation to better understand how the event works, with a view to preparing for the Asian Youth Games (October 22-31).
« What we witnessed throughout the EYOF went far beyond mere sporting competitions. It was a celebration of youth, sincere friendship, mutual respect, and an inspiring spirit that brought us all together., welcomes Daniel Dimevski, president of the organizing committee and the Macedonian NOC. These young athletes reminded us of the true Olympic values: unity, passion, and excellence. We are proud that North Macedonia not only proved it can organize an event of this magnitude with professionalism and heart, but also that it can inspire and unite people across Europe. » The EOC flag was finally presented to Laura Giorgi, Mayor of Lignano Sabbiadoro, and Giorgio Brandolin, President of the Organizing Committee for the next Summer EYOF. See you in 2027!
