The Världsungdomsspelen (translation: World Youth Games), also known as the Gothenburg Youth Games, is an annual youth outdoor

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

competition open to the public, with age category competitions between the ages of twelve and nineteen, as well as senior level events. First organised in 1996, it is held over three days each July at the

Ullevi Ullevi, sometimes known as Nya Ullevi (, ''New Ullevi''), is a multi-purpose stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. It was built for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, but since then has also hosted the World Allround Speed Skating Championships six times; the ...

stadium in

Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...

. It is a mass participation event, typically attracting around 3500 mostly Swedish athletes, and its popularity has led to the introduction of qualifying standards for the

throwing events Throwing sports, or throwing games, are physical, human competitions where the outcome is measured by a player's ability to throw an object. The two primary forms are throwing for distance and throwing at a given target or range. The four most p ...

. The event attracts participation from beyond Sweden, with twenty nations represented at the 2019 event. Many Swedish international track and field athletes have participated in the senior competition, with meet record breakers including Olympic champions

Carolina Klüft Carolina Evelyn Klüft (; born 2 February 1983) is a retired Swedish track and field athlete who competed in the heptathlon, triple jump, long jump, and pentathlon. She was an Olympic Champion, having won the heptathlon title in 2004. She was al ...

Stefan Holm Stefan Christian Holm (born 25 May 1976) is a retired Swedish high jumper. He won an Olympic Games, Olympic gold medal, a silver medal, silver in the World Championships in Athletics, World Championships, and one silver and one bronze medal in ...

and

Gerd Kanter Gerd Kanter (born 6 May 1979) is a retired Estonian discus thrower. He was the 2007 World Champion in the event and won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and bronze in London 2012. His personal best throw of 73.38 m is the Estonian ...

, as well as European medallists

Susanna Kallur Susanna Elisabeth "Sanna" Kallur (; born 16 February 1981) is a Swedish former athlete competing mainly in sprint hurdles. She has won several international medals, including the gold medal in the 100 m hurdles at the 2006 European ...

and Emma Green. Several athletes who set age category records as teenagers at the Världsungdomsspelen have gone on to international success, such as Olympic champion

Armand Duplantis Armand Gustav "Mondo" Duplantis (born 10 November 1999) is an American-born Swedish pole vaulter, the current world outdoor and indoor record holder ( and ), the current Olympic and World outdoor and indoor champion, the current European outd ...

, European champion

Henrik Ingebrigtsen Henrik Ingebrigtsen (born 24 February 1991) is a Norwegian middle-distance runner who competes mainly in the 1500 metres. He represented Norway at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. His younger brothers, Filip Ingebrigtsen and Jakob Ingebrigtsen ...

, European medallist

Aníta Hinriksdóttir Aníta Hinriksdóttir (born 13 January 1996) is an Icelandic middle-distance track athlete who specializes in the 800 metres. She won the bronze medal in the event at the 2017 European Indoor Championships and a silver at the 2017 European U ...

and world medalist Iréne Ekelund. The competition allows young people and international class athletes to compete in the same space.World Youth Games
Goteborg. Retrieved 2019-08-20.

Meeting records

Senior men

Senior women

References

;Records
Rekord Världsungdomsspelen
Vuspel (2018-09-06). Retrieved 2019-08-20.

External links

{{commonscat, Världsungdomsspelen
Official website
Annual track and field meetings Athletics competitions in Sweden Under-18 athletics competitions Sports competitions in Gothenburg Recurring sporting events established in 1996 1996 establishments in Sweden July sporting events Youth sport in Sweden