Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympics kicks off in history-making ceremony
The 3rd Summer Youth Olympic Games kicked off in Argentina's capital in an open street party on Saturday.
It's the first time an Olympic opening ceremony has been held in the streets of a city and free for the general public, away from a traditional stadium.
The focal point was the Buenos Aires Obelisk, in the middle of the city's 9th of July Avenue - known as the world' widest boulevard.
An estimated 200,000 people filled the streets, while the athletes and the Olympic family were among the audience. The young Thai soccer team Wild Boars, who were rescued from Tham Luang cave in Thailand, were also invited to the opening ceremony.
About 4000 young athletes from 206 countries and regions around the world will participate in 32 sports in the next 12 days, to be held in seven venues in and around the city. This is also the first Olympic competition in history with the same number of men and women athletes.
More circus, less bread
Argentina's President Mauricio Macri announced the official opening of the Youth Games. The games, awarded to Buenos Aires in 2013, are a needed political respite for the increasingly unpopular Macri.
Argentina entered into deepest economic crisis since 2002 when a carry-trade debt bubble imploded in April, prompting around $30 billion in capital flight since then and a fall in the peso's value by half.
The crisis forced Argentina to request a $50 billion IMF credit line in June - a bailout conditioned on steep budget cuts which have exacerbated an already severe recession.
The city of Buenos Aires invested $246 million in 27 different infrastrustructure projects over the last four years in preparation for this week's games. Another $150 million have been spent on goods and services related to the games.
The centerpiece was the Olympic Village itself, whose 1,118 apartments, designed by local architects Pablo Carballo and Maricruz Errasti, will be later converted into public housing - a welcome boost to the surrounding Villa Soldati ward, one of the poorest in the city.
At: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-10/07/c_137515975.htm
The Olympic Village. Located beside the principal venue for the games as well as in one of the city's poorest neighborhood, the 1,118-unit dormitories will be converted to public housing after the games.
= new reply since forum marked as read
