Singapore welcomed young athletes from around the world in a ceremony opening the inaugural Youth Olympic Games. This is the first ever Summer Youth Olympics, an event designed to be celebrated in the same tradition of the Olympic Games - the major difference being that the competitors are all between 14 and 18 years of age. This year, 3,500 athletes from more than 200 countries are competing in 184 events in 26 sports. Collected here are some photographs of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, which will run until its closing ceremony on August 26th.
1. Darren Choy of Singapore carries the Youth Olympic torch on his way to ignite the Youth Olympic Flame at the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Youth Olympics at The Float at Marina Bay on August 14, 2010 in Singapore. (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
2. On July 23, 2010, Greek actress Ino Menegaki lights the flame at Ancient Olympia, where the Olympics were born in 776 B.C., during the official ceremony of the lighting of the flame that will burn at the Singapore inaugural Youth Olympic Games on August 14. (TAKIS TAKATOS/AFP/Getty Images)
3. Greek actress Ino Menegaki, playing the role of high priestess, carries the flame inside the ancient stadium at Olympia, Greece on Thursday ,July 22, 2010. The ceremony was part of a full dress rehearsal carried out amid the ruins of Ancient Olympia. (AP Photo/Dimitri Messinis)
4. Greek actress Ino Menegaki delivers the flame to the first runner inside the stadium in Ancient Olympia on Friday July 23, 2010. The flame was bound for the Aug. 14-26 Singapore inaugural Youth Olympic Games. (AP Photo/Dimitri Messinis)
5. Singapore Youth Olympic Committee Chairman and IOC Vice-President, Ng Ser Miang arrives at the Singapore Changi Airport with a safety lantern containing the Youth Olympic flame on Thursday Aug. 5, 2010, in Singapore. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
6. The Youth Olympic Torch is transported on a Phoenix across the Singapore River towards the cauldron during the opening ceremony mark the start of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games held on Saturday Aug. 14, 2010 in Singapore. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
7. A boat in the shape of a phoenix carries the Youth Olympic torch across the water during the opening ceremony of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games at the Marina Bay floating platform in Singapore on August 14, 2010. (REUTERS/Vivek Prakash)
8. Fireworks explode during the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympic Games at the Marina Bay floating platform in Singapore on August 14, 2010. (REUTERS/Tim Chong)
9. A torch bearer runs with the Youth Olympic torch during the opening ceremony of the 2010 Youth Olympic Games at the Marina Bay floating platform in Singapore on August 14, 2010. (REUTERS/Issei Kato)
10. A dragon puppet moves between a school of carp puppets during the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympic Games at the Marina Bay floating platform in Singapore on August 14, 2010. (REUTERS/Vivek Prakash)
11. Sixteen-year-old Darren Choy (left) receives the Youth Olympic flame before lighting the cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympic Games at the Marina Bay floating platform in Singapore on August 14, 2010. (REUTERS/Issei Kato)
12. Sixteen-year-old Darren Choy of Singapore lights the Singapore Youth Olympic Games cauldron on August 14, 2010. (REUTERS/Issei Kato)
13. Entertainers make the shape of the Olympic Rings while performing at the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Youth Olympics at The Float at Marina Bay on August 14, 2010 in Singapore. (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
14. Performers splash water during the opening ceremony celebrations of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games Saturday Aug. 14, 2010 in Singapore. (AP Photo/Sam Kang Li)
15. Costumed performers are seen during the opening Youth Olympic Games ceremony on Saturday Aug. 14, 2010 in Singapore. (AP Photo/Sam Kang Li)
16. A boxer shadow-boxes as part of a performance in the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Youth Olympics on August 14, 2010 in Singapore. (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
17. The Singapore flag is carried during the opening ceremony of the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore on August 14, 2010. (REUTERS/Issei Kato)
18. Members of the Canadian delegation arrive for the opening ceremony of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore on August 14, 2010. (REUTERS/Russell Boyce)
19. Lautaro Diaz of Argentina, center, runs out of the water after the swimming leg of the Men's Triathlon at the 2010 Youth Olympics on Monday Aug. 16, 2010, in Singapore. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
20. The chasing group of cyclists contest the first lap in the Men's Triathlon on day two of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympics at East Coast Park on August 16, 2010 in Singapore. (Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)
21. Yu Miyahara of Japan celebrates after winning against Iulia Leorda of Moldova during their women's freestyle 46kg wrestling final at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore on August 16, 2010. (REUTERS/Pablo Sanchez)
22. Thach Kim Tuan of Vietnam is about to lift 140 kilograms during the men's 56-kilogram category Clean and Jerk weightlifting event at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010 in Singapore. Thach went on to win the gold medal. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
23. Song Jong Hun of the Republic of Korea (left) competes with Leonardo Affede of Italy during the Cadet Male Individual Sabre final at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore on August 15, 2010. Song Jong Hun won the gold medal after defeating Leonardo Affede of Italy by 15-8. (SYOGOC/AFP/Getty Images)
24. Medhy Metella of France competes in the youth men's 100m butterfly to qualify for the semi-final during the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games on August 16, 2010. (AFP/Getty Images/ALPHONSO CHAN)
25. Saeed Ali Suzan of Poland, catches her breath after a match with Martina Kuenz of Austria during the women's 70-kilogram freestyle wrestling at the Youth Olympics on Monday, Aug. 16, 2010. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
26. Iran's Soghra Farmani (left) and Fatemeh Khalaji warm up before their match against Turkey during the Girl's Group A Youth Olympic Games soccer match in Singapore August 12, 2010. The Iranian girls' team had earlier been banned from taking part in the competition because of a FIFA ban on Islamic head scarves. The team was reinstated to the tournament after Iran reached a compromise with FIFA which would allow the team's members to wear modified hats instead of head scarves. (REUTERS/Vivek Prakash)
27. Dorothy Yeats of Canada is lifted in the air by her team-mate as she celebrates her gold medal won against Moon Jinju of Korea in the 70kg woman's wrestling final during the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games on August 16, 2010. (MINDY TAN/AFP/Getty Images)
28. Silver medalist Iulia Leorda of Moldova, gold medalist Yu Miyahara of Japan and bronze medalist Petra Olli of Finland (from left) stand on the podium during the medals ceremony of the women's freestyle 46kg wrestling competition at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore on August 16, 2010. (REUTERS/Pablo Sanchez)
29. Australia's Kenneth To (left) and South Africa's Chad le Clos compete in the men's 200m individual medley event at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore on August 16, 2010. (REUTERS/Vivek Prakash)
30. Italy's Camilla Mancini celebrates with her coach after winning the women's individual foil fencing final match against Russia's Victoria Alekseeva at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore on August 15, 2010. (REUTERS/Issei Kato)
31. Wendy Richer Soares of Brazil and other competitors wait for the start of the practice race of the Techno 293 Girls Windsurfer on day two of the Youth Olympics at the National Sailing Center on August 16, 2010 in Singapore. (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
32. Silver medalist Nikolaus Bodoczi of Germany (left), gold medalist Marco Fichera of Italy (center) and bronze medalist Alexandre Lyssov of Canada stand on the podium during the medals ceremony after the men's epee final at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore on August 16, 2010. (REUTERS/Pablo Sanchez)
33. Jenna Rose Burkert of the United States (right) wrestles against Christiana Victor of Nigeria during the women's 60-kilogram freestyle wrestling at the Youth Olympics on Monday, Aug. 16, 2010 in Singapore. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
34. Thomas Neuteleers of Belgium prepares to compete on the parallel bars in the men's qualification during the artistic gymnastics competition at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore on August 16, 2010. (REUTERS/Issei Kato)
35. Elman Mukhtarov of Azerbaijan competes against Nurbek Hakkulov of Uzbekistan in the final of the Men's Greco Roman 50kg Wrestling competition on day one of the Youth Olympics at the International Convention Center on August 15, 2010 in Singapore. (Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)
36. Russia's Andrey Ushakov swims on his way to winning the gold medal in the men's 200m freestyle event at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore on August 16, 2010. (REUTERS/Vivek Prakash)
37. Marco Fichera of Italy bites his gold medal during the medal ceremony for the men's epee event at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore on August 16, 2010. (REUTERS/Pablo Sanchez)
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