The Minister of Culture congratulates the Norwegian team with great effort in the Youth Olympics

- I congratulate the entire Norwegian team with fantastic effort in the history's first Winter Youth Olympic Games which has just been ended in Innsbruck. This shows that it grows well in Norwegian sport, and that our proud tradition in winter sports will be well taken care of, says Minister of Culture Anniken Huitfeldt.

- Youth Olympic Games shows that many countries distinguish (??)  in winter sports and the competition is getting tougher. It is important to have good recruitment and investment in youth sports when we are hosting Youth Olympic Games at Lillehammer in 2016, says Huitfeldt.

- Innsbruck has carried a great event and it raises expectations of us as an organizer in 2016, says the Minister.

All the Olympic winter sports was presented during the Winter Youth Olympics in Innsbruck 13 - 22 January 2012. About 1,050 athletes aged 14 to 18 years participated, among them 28 Norwegians - 14 girls and 14 boys. In addition to the sports event, there was a cultural- and educational programme. Central to this programme is the Olympic ideals of friendship, solidarity and noble competition, and themes such as health and healthy lifestyle, performance and personality development, environment and social responsibility and media relations.