Team Russia will be represented in 27 out of 30 disciplines at the first ever Youth Olympic games.
Some 96 athletes, all under 17 years old, have left for Singapore. The team is expected to perform well, especially in gymnastics, athletics, and wrestling.
“This will be the first Youth Olympic games in history,” noted Russia’s Olympic committee executive director, Marat Bariev. “Of course, the guys understand that they themselves become part of history.”
”We are taking a strong team to Singapore. The majority of them are World or European champions among their age-groups, and each athlete greatly desires to show his or her best,” said Bariev, adding: “However, these games are not about winning medals.”