Jūrmala to Host 2028 Latvian Youth Olympics; Historical Latvian Olympics to be Revived in 2029
The Latvian Olympic Committee has approved Jūrmala as the host for the 2028 Youth Olympics, while planning to revive the Latvian Olympics in Riga in 2029 with a family festival.
The Executive Committee of the Latvian Olympic Committee (LOK) has made key decisions regarding national sports events in the coming years. The host city for the 2028 Latvian Youth Olympics will be Jūrmala, while in 2029, the historical Latvian Olympics tradition will be revived in Riga, supplemented by an Olympic family festival.
The decision to award the 2028 event to Jūrmala was based on a thorough assessment of sports infrastructure, accommodation capacity, and the municipality's financial resources. LOK President Raimonds Lazdiņš stated that these are strategically important decisions to promote youth sports and public health in the long term.
Jūrmala previously hosted the Youth Olympics in 2011, with over 2,220 participants. The city was awarded the European City of Sport status in 2017. Jūrmala City Council Chairman Jānis Lediņš emphasized that the city is well-suited to host the Olympics given its infrastructure and experience.
In 2029, the revived Latvian Olympics in Riga will feature both Olympic and non-Olympic sports. Simultaneously, an Olympic family festival will be organized to promote active lifestyles and Olympic values.
