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Moscow-Utah Youth Games Fact Sheet
July 16, 2003

WHAT:

• First-ever youth sporting exchange program between a Russian City and a U.S. state.
• Sports Competition:
  • Summer games in Russia, 7/2003
    • Basketball
    • Swimming
    • Baseball
    • Track & Field
    • Gymnastics
    • Volleyball
    • Soccer
    • Water Polo
    • Softball
    • Wrestling
  • Winter games in Utah, 2/2004
    • Alpine Skiing
    • Ski Jumping
    • Curling
    • Speed Skating
    • Fig. Skating
    • X-Ctry. Skiing
    • Freestyle Skiing
    • Short-Track Speed Skating
    • Hockey
• Humanitarian Activities:
• Wheelchair Foundation will donate 500 wheelchairs to disabled Russians.
• Andrei Kirilenko will donate 50 Utah Jazz basketballs to Moscow’s youth programs.
• Cultural Events
• Economic Development Opportunities

WHEN:

• July 16: Team Utah Travels to Moscow
• July 18: Wheelchair Foundation event
• July 19: Opening Ceremony
• July 20-27: Sporting Competitions
• July 28: Closing Ceremony
• February ’04: Winter Games in Utah

WHO:

• Team Utah (Summer Games):
  • 250 high-school-age Utah athletes and their coaches (all 29 Utah counties represented)
  • Governor Mike Leavitt
  • Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov
  • Andrei Kirilenko, Utah’s honorary ambassador for the games.
  • Representatives from Utah businesses
• Team Moscow (Summer Games): 278 Russian youth athletes
• Approximately 12,000 to 15,000 spectators are expected to attend each day of the Summer Games

WHERE:

• Summer Games: 1980 Olympic Summer Games venues in Moscow, Russia
• Winter Games: 2002 Olympic Winter Games venues in Utah

WHY:

• To capitalize on the universal language of sport to promote the business, cultural and humanitarian interests of Utah and Moscow

HOW:

• Governor Mike Leavitt and Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov conceived of the idea for the Youth Games during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City
• Neways International, a Utah-based company, has contributed almost 80% of Team Utah’s travel expenses