# 2014 Summer Youth Olympics

The 2014 Summer Youth Olympics (Chinese: 2014年夏季青年奧林匹克运动会; pinyin: Èr líng yī sì Nián Xiàjì Qīngnián Àolínpǐkè Yùndònghuì), officially known as the II Summer Youth Olympic Games Chinese: 第二届夏季青年奧林匹克运动会; pinyin: Dì'èrjiè Xiàjì Qīngnián Àolínpǐkè Yùndònghuì, and commonly known as Nanjing 2014 (Chinese: 南京2014; pinyin: Nánjīng Èr Líng yī sì), were the second Summer Youth Olympic Games, an international sports, education and cultural festival for teenagers, held from 16 to 28 August 2014 in Nanjing, China. These were the first Youth Olympic Games held in China, making it the first country to host both regular and Youth Olympics following the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

## Bidding process

The International Olympic Committee established the Youth Olympic Games in July 2007. The 2014 host city was elected on 10 February 2010, during the 2010 IOC Session in Vancouver. This was the first election of a Youth Olympic Games host city held in an IOC Session. The elections for the host cities of the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics and 2012 Winter Youth Olympics were done through postal votes by IOC members.
2014 Summer Youth Olympics bidding results :
| City | Nation | Votes |
| Nanjing | China | 47 |
| Poznań | Poland | 42 |
* April 2009 – NOCs to inform the IOC of the name of a YOG Candidate City. (This was changed from February 2009 after several NOCs asked for more preparation time)
* September 2009 – Submission of the YOG Candidature File, YOG Guarantees File, photographic files and Undertaking
* December 2009 – Short-list of YOG Candidate Cities by the IOC Executive Board
* February 2010 – Election and announcement of the Host City of the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games at the 122nd IOC Session in Vancouver (before the 2010 Winter Olympics)

## Logo

Like other Olympic events, the 2014 Summer Youth Games has its own logo. The logo consists of three parts. The colorful "NANJING" reflects the image of the gate of Nanjing and the features of some Jiangnan houses. The various colors symbolize youths' energetic spirit.

## Venues

All of the venues are located in four zones within Nanjing. All venues with the exception of the cycling road, sailing, and triathlon venues, were temporary.
The Nanjing Olympic Sports Center hosted the opening and closing ceremonies.
| District | Venue | Sports | Capacity |
| Gulou | Longjiang Gymnasium | Judo, Wrestling | |
| Gulou | Wutaishan Sports Center | Basketball, Football, Table tennis | |
| Jiangning | Fangshan Sports Training Base | Archery, Shooting | |
| Jiangning | Jiangning Sports Center | Football, Handball | |
| Jiangning | Jinniu Lake Sailing Venue | Sailing | |
| Jianye | Nanjing International Expo Center | Boxing, Fencing, Modern Pentathlon, Taekwondo, Weightlifting | |
| Jianye | Nanjing Olympic Sports Center | Aquatics, Athletics, Gymnastics, Modern Pentathlon | 60,000 |
| Pukou | Laoshan National Forest Park | Cycling | |
| Pukou | Youth Olympic Sports Park | Beach Volleyball, Cycling, Field Hockey, Rugby Sevens | |
| Xuanwu | Nanjing Sport Institute | Badminton, Tennis | |
| Xuanwu | Xinzhuang Equestrian Venue, generally known as the Nanjing International Exhibition Center | Equestrian | |
| Xuanwu | Xuanwu Lake Park | Triathlon | |
| Xuanwu | Xuanwu Lake Rowing-Canoeing Venue | Canoeing, Rowing | |
| Xuanwu | Zhongshan International Golf Club | Golf | |

## Torch relay

The Youth Olympic torch was designed by the Vatti Corporation Ltd. The torch is known as the "Gate of Happiness." A structure resembling a city gate is found on the top part of the torch and the blue color of the torch represents the peaceful tranquility of Nanjing. The Yangtze which flows next to Nanjing is presented as stripes found on the handle of the torch. It is said that the torch is capable of resisting wind speeds of 11 m/s, rainfall of 50mm/h, altitude of up to 4500m and a temperature range of -15˚C to 45˚C.
Following Olympic tradition the torch lighting ceremony was held on 30 April 2014 in Athens, Greece at the Panathenaic Stadium where the first Olympic Games were held. Four young athletes from Greece and China competed in a mini-relay.
The torch relay was divided into two parts. The first part was a digital relay where people who downloaded an app were able to participate in the relay through an interactive option called "Give Me Fire." When using this feature users were able to pass the Youth Olympic flame to their friends by touching their devices together. The relay visited 258 different online locations from the 204 participating NOCs over a 98-day period.
After the digital relay the relay began its physical portion in Nanjing where a 10-day relay was held. 104 torch bearers carried the torch singularly or in pairs over 100 legs. Torch bearers were primarily focused on youth and included individuals from sport, culture, media, volunteers and the International Olympic Committee. Notable torch bearers included two time badminton Olympian gold medalist Lin Dan, 2008 Olympic fencing gold medalist Zhong Man, director Chen Weiya and composer Bian Liunian.

## Sports

222 events, there will be 13 mixed team events (Mixed-NOCs), 4 mixed team events (NOCs), 1 open event (Equestrian), 109 men's events, and 95 women's events. This is a tentative list of the sports program taken from the general presentation of the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2014. Golf and Rugby sevens will be contested for the first time. Beach volleyball will replace indoor volleyball and other format changes to sports like field hockey which introduced a five a side format. New events have also been introduced in some of the sports including a shooting mixed gender event among others.
* Aquatics
** Diving (4+1) (details)
** Swimming (34+2) (details)
* Archery (3) (details)
* Athletics (36+1) (details)
* Badminton (2+1) (details)
* Basketball (4) (details)
* Beach volleyball (2) (details)
* Boxing (13) (details)
* Canoeing (8) (details)
* Cycling (2+1) (details)
* Equestrian (1+1) (details)
* Fencing (6+1) (details)
* Field hockey (2) (details)
* Football (2) (details)
* Golf (2+1) (details)
* Gymnastics (details)
** Artistic gymnastics (12)
** Rhythmic gymnastics (2)
** Trampolining (2)
* Handball (2) (details)
* Judo (8+1) (details)
* Modern pentathlon (2+1) (details)
* Rowing (4) (details)
* Rugby sevens (2) (details)
* Sailing (4) (details)
* Shooting (4+2) (details)
* Table tennis (2+1) (details)
* Taekwondo (10) (details)
* Tennis (2+3) (details)
* Triathlon (2+1) (details)
* Weightlifting (11) (details)
* Wrestling (14) (details)

### Demonstration sports

These were the demonstration sports in the games:
* Sport climbing (details)
* Inline speed skating (details)
* Skateboarding (details)
* Wushu (details)

## Medal table

The NYOGOC did not keep an official medal tally. The ranking in this table is based on information provided by the IOC and is consistent with IOC convention in its published medal tables. For the full medal table, refer to the main article.
Medals won by teams with athletes from more than one National Olympic Committee are included in the table as medals awarded to a mixed-NOCs team. There were eight events which composed entirely of mixed-NOCs teams, and as such all 25 medals in these events, including two bronzes in judo, were swept by mixed-NOCs teams. The remaining medals were won in events which combined mixed-NOCs teams and teams representing one NOC. The mixed-NOCs listing is not given a ranking.
Alongside the mixed-NOCs teams, the top ten ranked NOCs are listed below. China (highlighted), as host nation, is also included in the table.
* Host nation (China)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | China* | 38 | 13 | 14 | 65 |
| 2 | Russia | 27 | 19 | 11 | 57 |
| – | Mixed-NOCs | 13 | 12 | 14 | 39 |
| 3 | United States | 10 | 5 | 7 | 22 |
| 4 | France | 8 | 3 | 9 | 20 |
| 5 | Japan | 7 | 9 | 5 | 21 |
| 6 | Ukraine | 7 | 8 | 8 | 23 |
| 7 | Italy | 7 | 8 | 6 | 21 |
| 8 | Hungary | 6 | 6 | 11 | 23 |
| 9 | Brazil | 6 | 6 | 1 | 13 |
| 10 | Azerbaijan | 5 | 6 | 1 | 12 |
| 11–87 | Remaining | 90 | 125 | 153 | 368 |
| Totals (87 entries) | Totals (87 entries) | 224 | 220 | 240 | 684 |

## Calendar

    All dates are BJT (UTC+8)
222 events are expected to be held over the 2014 Youth Olympics. The schedule will be finalized as the event becomes closer.
| ● | Opening ceremony | ● | Event competitions | ● | Event finals | ● | Closing ceremony |
| August | 14th Thu | 15th Fri | 16th Sat | 17th Sun | 18th Mon | 19th Tue | 20th Wed | 21st Thu | 22nd Fri | 23rd Sat | 24th Sun | 25th Mon | 26th Tue | 27th Wed | 28th Thu | Events |
| Ceremonies | | | ● | | | | | | | | | | | | ● | |
| Aquatics (Diving) | | | | | | | | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | 5 |
| Aquatics (Swimming) | | | | 3 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 9 | | | | | | | 36 |
| Archery | | | | | | | | | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | 3 |
| Athletics | | | | | | | ● | ● | ● | 13 | 12 | 11 | 1 | | | 37 |
| Badminton | | | | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 3 | | | | | | | 3 |
| Basketball | | | | | ● | ● | ● | 2 | ● | ● | ● | ● | 2 | | | 4 |
| Beach volleyball | | | | ● | ● | ● | | ● | ● | | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | | 2 |
| Boxing | | | | | | | | | | ● | ● | ● | 3 | 10 | | 13 |
| Canoeing | | | | | | | | | | ● | 4 | | ● | 4 | | 8 |
| Cycling | | | | ● | ● | ● | ● | | 2 | | 1 | | | | | 3 |
| Equestrian | | | | | | ● | 1 | ● | ● | ● | 1 | | | | | 2 |
| Fencing | | | | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | 7 |
| Field hockey | | | | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | | 2 |
| Football | ● | ● | | ● | ● | | ● | ● | | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | | 2 |
| Golf | | | | | | ● | ● | 2 | | | ● | ● | 1 | | | 3 |
| Gymnastics | | | | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | | ● | 2 | | 16 |
| Handball | | | | | | | ● | ● | ● | | ● | 2 | | | | 2 |
| Judo | | | | 3 | 3 | 2 | | 1 | | | | | | | | 9 |
| Modern pentathlon | | | | | | | | | ● | 1 | 1 | | 1 | | | 3 |
| Rowing | | | | ● | ● | ● | 4 | | | | | | | | | 4 |
| Rugby sevens | | | | ● | ● | ● | 2 | | | | | | | | | 2 |
| Sailing | | | | | ● | ● | ● | | ● | 4 | | | | | | 4 |
| Shooting | | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | 6 |
| Table tennis | | | | ● | ● | ● | 2 | ● | ● | 1 | | | | | | 3 |
| Taekwondo | | | | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | 10 |
| Tennis | | | | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 2 | 3 | | | | | 5 |
| Triathlon | | | | 1 | 1 | | | 1 | | | | | | | | 3 |
| Weightlifting | | | | 2 | 2 | 2 | | 2 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | 11 |
| Wrestling | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | 4 | 5 | | 14 |
| Total gold medals | | | | 14 | 19 | 15 | 21 | 16 | 18 | 28 | 29 | 20 | 17 | 25 | | 222 |
| Cumulative gold medals | | | | 14 | 33 | 48 | 69 | 85 | 103 | 131 | 160 | 180 | 197 | 222 | | 222 |
| August | 14th Thu | 15th Fri | 16th Sat | 17th Sun | 18th Mon | 19th Tue | 20th Wed | 21st Thu | 22nd Fri | 23rd Sat | 24th Sun | 25th Mon | 26th Tue | 27th Wed | 28th Thu | Events |

## Participating nations

203 out of the 204 National Olympic Committees recognized at that time sent delegates to Nanjing. Among them, both Sierra Leone and Nigeria were planning to participate, but on 13 August 2014 both nations pulled out due to pressure from Chinese Authorities in an attempt to prevent Ebola from West Africa from entering their nation. On 15 August 2014 Liberia also withdrew along with two athletes from Guinea being barred by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) due to fears that the nature of their sports (judo and swimming) could pose a risk to other athletes. An athlete from South Sudan competed under the Olympic flag as they did not have a National Olympic Committee. The ten nations with the most athletes are China (with 123), Brazil (with 97), United States (with 92), Australia (with 89), Russia (with 88), Germany (with 85), Egypt (with 83), France (with 82), Japan (with 78), and Mexico (with 78).
* Participating National Olympic Committees
* Afghanistan (1)
* Albania (5)
* Algeria (33)
* American Samoa (5)
* Andorra (10)
* Angola (15)
* Antigua and Barbuda (5)
* Argentina (60)
* Armenia (14)
* Aruba (4)
* Australia (89)
* Austria (33)
* Azerbaijan (21)
* Bahamas (14)
* Bahrain (5)
* Bangladesh (13)
* Barbados (8)
* Belarus (35)
* Belgium (33)
* Belize (3)
* Benin (5)
* Bermuda (7)
* Bhutan (2)
* Bolivia (7)
* Bosnia and Herzegovina (6)
* Botswana (8)
* Brazil (97)
* British Virgin Islands (8)
* Brunei (3)
* Bulgaria (27)
* Burkina Faso (3)
* Burundi (8)
* Cambodia (3)
* Cameroon (3)
* Canada (72)
* Cape Verde (20)
* Cayman Islands (5)
* Central African Republic (2)
* Chad (2)
* Chile (15)
* China (123) (host)
* Colombia (34)
* Comoros (4)
* Republic of the Congo (8)
* Democratic Republic of the Congo (4)
* Cook Islands (4)
* Costa Rica (3)
* Croatia (24)
* Cuba (12)
* Cyprus (6)
* Czech Republic (37)
* Denmark (15)
* Djibouti (5)
* Dominica (2)
* Dominican Republic (10)
* Ecuador (19)
* Egypt (83)
* El Salvador (8)
* Equatorial Guinea (2)
* Eritrea (3)
* Estonia (17)
* Ethiopia (15)
* Fiji (26)
* Finland (14)
* France (82)
* Gabon (3)
* The Gambia (2)
* Georgia (12)
* Germany (85)
* Ghana (10)
* Great Britain (33)
* Greece (22)
* Grenada (4)
* Guam (8)
* Guatemala (20)
* Guinea (4)
* Guinea-Bissau (2)
* Guyana (4)
* Haiti (3)
* Honduras (21)
* Hong Kong (18)
* Hungary (57)
* Iceland (20)
* India (32)
* Indonesia (27)
* Iran (16)
* Iraq (5)
* Ireland (16)
* Israel (14)
* Italy (68)
* Ivory Coast (4)
* Jamaica (20)
* Japan (78)
* Jordan (6)
* Kazakhstan (51)
* Kenya (24)
* Kiribati (3)
* North Korea (6)
* South Korea (74)
* Kuwait (5)
* Kyrgyzstan (7)
* Laos (2)
* Latvia (13)
* Lebanon (4)
* Lesotho (7)
* Libya (3)
* Liechtenstein (1)
* Lithuania (21)
* Luxembourg (4)
* Macedonia (5)
* Madagascar (3)
* Malawi (5)
* Malaysia (20)
* Maldives (3)
* Mali (4)
* Malta (4)
* Marshall Islands (4)
* Mauritania (3)
* Mauritius (4)
* Mexico (78)
* Federated States of Micronesia (4)
* Moldova (11)
* Monaco (1)
* Mongolia (5)
* Montenegro (5)
* Morocco (15)
* Mozambique (3)
* Myanmar (4)
* Namibia (30)
* Nauru (2)
* Nepal (2)
* Netherlands (41)
* New Zealand (50)
* Nicaragua (4)
* Niger (4)
* Nigeria (12)
* Norway (31)
* Oman (3)
* Pakistan (12)
* Palau (3)
* Palestine (4)
* Panama (8)
* Papua New Guinea (24)
* Paraguay (10)
* Peru (40)
* Philippines (7)
* Poland (59)
* Portugal (21)
* Puerto Rico (23)
* Qatar (21)
* Romania (41)
* Russia (88)
* Rwanda (11)
* Saint Kitts and Nevis (3)
* Saint Lucia (6)
* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (4)
* Samoa (2)
* San Marino (3)
* São Tomé and Príncipe (4)
* Saudi Arabia (5)
* Senegal (6)
* Serbia (24)
* Seychelles (3)
* Sierra Leone (6)
* Singapore (18)
* Slovakia (38)
* Slovenia (48)
* Somalia (2)
* Solomon Islands (3)
* South Africa (55)
* Spain (66)
* Sri Lanka (9)
* Sudan (5)
* Independent Olympic Athletes (1)
* Suriname (6)
* Swaziland (4)
* Sweden (33)
* Switzerland (19)
* Syria (9)
* Chinese Taipei (47)
* Tajikistan (8)
* Tanzania (4)
* Thailand (37)
* Timor-Leste (2)
* Togo (3)
* Tonga (3)
* Trinidad and Tobago (11)
* Tunisia (50)
* Turkey (41)
* Turkmenistan (3)
* Tuvalu (3)
* Uganda (6)
* Ukraine (58)
* United Arab Emirates (4)
* United States (92)
* Uruguay (22)
* Uzbekistan (28)
* Vanuatu (21)
* Venezuela (59)
* Vietnam (13)
* Virgin Islands (5)
* Yemen (3)
* Zambia (24)
* Zimbabwe (10)

### Number of athletes by National Olympic Committee

| IOC Letter Code | Country | Athletes |
| CHN | China | 123 |
| BRA | Brazil | 97 |
| USA | United States | 92 |
| AUS | Australia | 89 |
| RUS | Russia | 88 |
| GER | Germany | 85 |
| EGY | Egypt | 83 |
| FRA | France | 82 |
| JPN | Japan | 78 |
| MEX | Mexico | 78 |
| KOR | South Korea | 74 |
| CAN | Canada | 72 |
| ITA | Italy | 68 |
| ESP | Spain | 66 |
| ARG | Argentina | 60 |
| POL | Poland | 59 |
| VEN | Venezuela | 59 |
| UKR | Ukraine | 58 |
| HUN | Hungary | 57 |
| RSA | South Africa | 55 |
| KAZ | Kazakhstan | 51 |
| NZL | New Zealand | 50 |
| TUN | Tunisia | 50 |
| SLO | Slovenia | 48 |
| TPE | Chinese Taipei | 47 |
| NED | Netherlands | 41 |
| ROM | Romania | 41 |
| TUR | Turkey | 41 |
| PER | Peru | 40 |
| SVK | Slovakia | 38 |
| CZE | Czech Republic | 37 |
| THA | Thailand | 37 |
| BLR | Belarus | 35 |
| COL | Colombia | 34 |
| ALG | Algeria | 33 |
| AUT | Austria | 33 |
| BEL | Belgium | 33 |
| GBR | Great Britain | 33 |
| SWE | Sweden | 33 |
| IND | India | 32 |
| NOR | Norway | 31 |
| NAM | Namibia | 30 |
| UZB | Uzbekistan | 28 |
| BUL | Bulgaria | 27 |
| INA | Indonesia | 27 |
| FIJ | Fiji | 26 |
| CRO | Croatia | 24 |
| KEN | Kenya | 24 |
| PNG | Papua New Guinea | 24 |
| SRB | Serbia | 24 |
| ZAM | Zambia | 24 |
| PUR | Puerto Rico | 23 |
| GRE | Greece | 22 |
| URU | Uruguay | 22 |
| AZE | Azerbaijan | 21 |
| HON | Honduras | 21 |
| LTU | Lithuania | 21 |
| POR | Portugal | 21 |
| QAT | Qatar | 21 |
| VAN | Vanuatu | 21 |
| CPV | Cape Verde | 20 |
| GUA | Guatemala | 20 |
| ISL | Iceland | 20 |
| JAM | Jamaica | 20 |
| MAS | Malaysia | 20 |
| ECU | Ecuador | 19 |
| SUI | Switzerland | 19 |
| HKG | Hong Kong | 18 |
| SIN | Singapore | 18 |
| EST | Estonia | 17 |
| IRI | Iran | 16 |
| IRL | Ireland | 16 |
| ANG | Angola | 15 |
| CHI | Chile | 15 |
| DEN | Denmark | 15 |
| ETH | Ethiopia | 15 |
| MAR | Morocco | 15 |
| ARM | Armenia | 14 |
| BAH | Bahamas | 14 |
| FIN | Finland | 14 |
| ISR | Israel | 14 |
| BAN | Bangladesh | 13 |
| LAT | Latvia | 13 |
| VIE | Vietnam | 13 |
| CUB | Cuba | 12 |
| GEO | Georgia | 12 |
| NGR | Nigeria | 12 |
| PAK | Pakistan | 12 |
| MDA | Moldova | 11 |
| RWA | Rwanda | 11 |
| TTO | Trinidad and Tobago | 11 |
| AND | Andorra | 10 |
| DOM | Dominican Republic | 10 |
| GHA | Ghana | 10 |
| PAR | Paraguay | 10 |
| ZIM | Zimbabwe | 10 |
| SRI | Sri Lanka | 9 |
| SYR | Syria | 9 |
| BAR | Barbados | 8 |
| BOT | Botswana | 8 |
| IVB | British Virgin Islands | 8 |
| BDI | Burundi | 8 |
| CGO | Republic of the Congo | 8 |
| ESA | El Salvador | 8 |
| GUM | Guam | 8 |
| PAN | Panama | 8 |
| TJK | Tajikistan | 8 |
| BER | Bermuda | 7 |
| BOL | Bolivia | 7 |
| KGZ | Kyrgyzstan | 7 |
| LES | Lesotho | 7 |
| PHI | Philippines | 7 |
| BIH | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 6 |
| CYP | Cyprus | 6 |
| JOR | Jordan | 6 |
| PRK | North Korea | 6 |
| LCA | Saint Lucia | 6 |
| SEN | Senegal | 6 |
| SLE | Sierra Leone | 6 |
| SUR | Suriname | 6 |
| UGA | Uganda | 6 |
| ALB | Albania | 5 |
| ASA | American Samoa | 5 |
| ANT | Antigua and Barbuda | 5 |
| BRN | Bahrain | 5 |
| BEN | Benin | 5 |
| CAY | Cayman Islands | 5 |
| DJI | Djibouti | 5 |
| IRQ | Iraq | 5 |
| KUW | Kuwait | 5 |
| MKD | Macedonia | 5 |
| MAW | Malawi | 5 |
| MGL | Mongolia | 5 |
| MNE | Montenegro | 5 |
| KSA | Saudi Arabia | 5 |
| SUD | Sudan | 5 |
| ISV | Virgin Islands | 5 |
| ARU | Aruba | 4 |
| COM | Comoros | 4 |
| COD | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 4 |
| COK | Cook Islands | 4 |
| GRN | Grenada | 4 |
| GUI | Guinea | 4 |
| GUY | Guyana | 4 |
| CIV | Ivory Coast | 4 |
| LIB | Lebanon | 4 |
| LUX | Luxembourg | 4 |
| MLI | Mali | 4 |
| MLT | Malta | 4 |
| MHL | Marshall Islands | 4 |
| MRI | Mauritius | 4 |
| FSM | Federated States of Micronesia | 4 |
| MYA | Myanmar | 4 |
| NCA | Nicaragua | 4 |
| NIG | Niger | 4 |
| PLE | Palestine | 4 |
| VIN | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 4 |
| STP | São Tomé and Príncipe | 4 |
| SWZ | Swaziland | 4 |
| TAN | Tanzania | 4 |
| UAE | United Arab Emirates | 4 |
| BIZ | Belize | 3 |
| BRU | Brunei | 3 |
| BUR | Burkina Faso | 3 |
| CAM | Cambodia | 3 |
| CMR | Cameroon | 3 |
| CRC | Costa Rica | 3 |
| ERI | Eritrea | 3 |
| GAB | Gabon | 3 |
| HAI | Haiti | 3 |
| KIR | Kiribati | 3 |
| LBA | Libya | 3 |
| MAD | Madagascar | 3 |
| MDV | Maldives | 3 |
| MTN | Mauritania | 3 |
| MOZ | Mozambique | 3 |
| OMA | Oman | 3 |
| PLW | Palau | 3 |
| SKN | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 3 |
| SMR | San Marino | 3 |
| SEY | Seychelles | 3 |
| SOL | Solomon Islands | 3 |
| TOG | Togo | 3 |
| TGA | Tonga | 3 |
| TKM | Turkmenistan | 3 |
| TUV | Tuvalu | 3 |
| YEM | Yemen | 3 |
| BHU | Bhutan | 2 |
| CAF | Central African Republic | 2 |
| CHA | Chad | 2 |
| DMA | Dominica | 2 |
| TLS | Timor-Leste | 2 |
| GEQ | Equatorial Guinea | 2 |
| GAM | The Gambia | 2 |
| GBS | Guinea-Bissau | 2 |
| LAO | Laos | 2 |
| NRU | Nauru | 2 |
| NEP | Nepal | 2 |
| SAM | Samoa | 2 |
| SOM | Somalia | 2 |
| AFG | Afghanistan | 1 |
| IOA | Independent Olympic Athletes | 1 |
| LIE | Liechtenstein | 1 |
| MON | Monaco | 1 |

## Cultural and education program

Youth Olympic Games incorporate a Cultural and Education Program, featuring a variety of cultural and educational activities for young people. Youth Olympics include educational experience based on Olympic values that promote healthy lifestyles and allow young athletes to become well-rounded people with "true sporting spirits." Well-known athletes and "international specialists" guide the young participants. The program combines "Olympic traditions (such as the torch relay) with diverse cultures to spread the Olympic spirit."

### Athlete role models

On 17 March 2014 37 athletes from the 28 Olympic sports were chosen by the IOC to be role models at the 2014 Youth Olympics. The athletes will offer support, mentor and advice to the participating youth Olympians. As an athlete role model they will take part in activities and workshops on healthy lifestyles, social responsibility and Olympism. They will also take part in informal chats known as "chat with champions." On 9 April 2014 and 22 April 2014 footballer Simone Farina and swimmer Patrick Murphy were appointed as the 38th and 39th Athlete Role Model respectively.
| Sport | Athlete Role Model | NOC | Olympics Participated |
| Aquatics (Diving) | Minxia Wu | China | 2004, 2008, 2012 |
| Aquatics (Swimming) | Patrick Murphy | Australia | 2004, 2008 |
| Archery | Khatuna Lorig | United States | 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012 |
| Athletics | Dwight Phillips | United States | 2000, 2004 |
| Athletics | Kajsa Bergqvist | Sweden | 1996, 2000 |
| Athletics | Liu Xiang | China | 2004, 2008, 2012 |
| Badminton | Nathan Robertson | Great Britain | 2000, 2004, 2008 |
| Badminton | Cheng Wen Hsing | Chinese Taipei | 2004, 2008, 2012 |
| Basketball | Jorge Garbajosa | Spain | 2000, 2004, 2008 |
| Basketball | Anna Arkhipova | Russia | 2000, 2004 |
| Boxing | Ren Cancan | China | 2012 |
| Canoeing (Sprint) | Lisa Carrington | New Zealand | 2012 |
| Cycling (Track) | Frédéric Magné | France | 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 |
| Equestrian (Jumping) | Samantha Lam | Hong Kong | 2008 |
| Fencing | Lei Sheng | China | 2008, 2012 |
| Fencing | Miles Chamley-Watson | United States | 2012 |
| Football | Simone Farina | Italy | |
| Football | Sun Wen | China | 1996, 2000 |
| Golf | Grace Park | South Korea | |
| Gymnastics (Artistic) | Jani Tanskanen | Finland | |
| Gymnastics (Artistic) | Elizabeth Tweddle | Great Britain | 2004, 2008, 2012 |
| Gymnastics (Rhythmic) | Luboŭ Čarkašyna | Belarus | 2012 |
| Gymnastics (Trampoline) | Nuno Merino | Portugal | 2004 |
| Handball | Alexandra do Nascimento | Brazil | 2004, 2008, 2012 |
| Field hockey | Teun de Nooijer | Netherlands | 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 |
| Judo | Lucie Décosse | France | 2004, 2008, 2012 |
| Modern Pentathlon | Amelie Caze | France | 2004, 2008, 2012 |
| Rowing | Erin Cafaro | United States | 2008, 2012 |
| Rugby Sevens | Heather Moyse | Canada | 2006, 2010, 2014 |
| Sailing | Juan Perdomo | Puerto Rico | |
| Shooting | Ivana Maksimovic | Serbia | 2012 |
| Table Tennis | Jorgen Persson | Sweden | 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 |
| Table Tennis | Wang Liqin | China | 2000, 2004, 2008 |
| Taekwondo | Wu Jingyu | China | 2008, 2012 |
| Tennis | Paradorn Srichaphan | Thailand | 2000, 2004 |
| Triathlon | Emma Snowsill | Australia | 2008 |
| Volleyball (Beach) | Zhang Xi | China | 2008, 2012 |
| Weightlifting | Kendrick Farris | United States | 2008, 2012 |
| Wrestling | Kaori Icho | Japan | 2004, 2008, 2012 |
* $^a$ Khatuna Lorig competed for the Unified Team in 1992 and Georgia in 1996 and 2000.
* $^b$ Heather Moyse competed in Bobsleigh at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.

### Young ambassadors

A total of 104 people were selected by their National Olympic Committee to be young ambassadors. Young Ambassadors are aged between 18 and 25 and are athletes, coaches, students or young professionals that demonstrate the Olympic values and inspire and empower young people to do the same.
The main roles of the Young Ambassadors is to promote the Youth Olympics in their nations and to encourage athletes of their nations to get the most out of the Youth Olympic experience by encouraging them to interact with people from different sports and cultures and to take part in activities and workshops.
A seminar has held from 25 to 28 March 2014 in order to prepare the ambassadors for the Youth Olympics by teaching them about the cultures and activities Nanjing has to offer.
| NOC | Name | Sports | Notes |
| Algeria | Abdelmalek Lahoulou | Athletics | |
| Angola | Andreia Miranda Goncalves | Swimming | |
| Argentina | Jose Ignacio Fossati Ariznabarreta | Boxing | |
| Australia | Jessica Fox | Canoeing Slalom | 2010 Youth Olympian, 2012 Olympian |
| Austria | Stefan Janisch | Snowboarding, Tennis | |
| Azerbaijan | Arzu Məmmədova | Football | |
| Bahamas | Megan Shepherd | | Sports Writer |
| Bangladesh | Mohammed Farhadur Rahman | Basketball, Cricket, Football | |
| Barbados | Ryan O'Neal Brathwaite | | Cake Baker and Decorator |
| Belarus | Nastasja Špileŭska | Tennis | NOC Staff |
| Belgium | Sophie Paris | Ski Mountaineering | NOC Staff |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Edin Branković | Short-Track Speed Skating | |
| Botswana | Mothusi Ramaabya | | Auditing and Advisory |
| Brazil | Lara Teixeira | Synchronized Swimming | 2008, 2012 Olympian |
| Bulgaria | Damyan Dikov | Basketball | Coach |
| Cameroon | Prosper Babinne | Football | NOC Volunteer |
| Canada | Dillon Richardson | Baseball, Basketball | NOC Staff |
| Chile | Joaquín Ballivián | Athletics | 2010 Youth Olympian |
| China | Lu Ting | | NOC Staff |
| Chinese Taipei | Emily Yeh | Tennis | |
| Colombia | Juan Sebastian Sanchez Diaz | | Orienteering Federation Volunteer |
| Cook Islands | Tarapiripa Bishop | Football, Netball | |
| Costa Rica | Gabriel Zumbado | Triathlon | 2010 Youth Olympian |
| Croatia | Danijela Grgić | Athletics | |
| Cuba | Leydi Laura Moya Lopez | Modern Pentathlon | 2010 Youth Olympian |
| Cyprus | Chrystalleni Trikomiti | Gymnastics Rhythmic | 2012 Olympian |
| Czech Republic | Klara Mejdricka | Volleyball | |
| Denmark | Ann-Sofie Dalsgaard | Football | NOC Staff |
| Dominican Republic | Estefania George | | NOC Staff |
| Ecuador | Adriana Lastra Cabezas | Athletics | |
| Egypt | Mostafa Awadalla | Handball | 2010 Youth Olympian |
| Estonia | Laura-Maria Lehiste | Judo | |
| Ethiopia | Desalegn Medibaw | Football | |
| Fiji | Matelita Buadromo | Swimming | 2012 Olympian |
| Finland | Laura Lepisto | Figure Skating | 2010 Olympian |
| France | Thomas Bouhail | Gymnastics Artistic | 2008 Olympian |
| Germany | Marlene Gomez Islinger | Triathlon | 2010 Youth Olympian |
| Great Britain | Max Betteridge | Football | Coach |
| Greece | Filippos Papageorgiou | Equestrian | |
| Grenada | Kara Archibald | Swimming | Coach |
| Guatemala | Gabriela Matus Bonilla | Athletics | |
| Haiti | Sacha Durocher | Equestrian | Coach |
| Hong Kong | Hoi Shun Stephanie Au | Swimming | 2008, 2012 Olympian |
| Iceland | Bjarki Benediktsson | Football | Coach |
| Indonesia | Irham Fadli | | NOC Volunteer |
| Ireland | Leah Ewart | Field Hockey | 2010 Youth Olympian |
| Italy | Elisa Santoni | Gymnastics Rhythmic | 2004, 2008, 2012 Olympian |
| Ivory Coast | Ruth Gbagbi | Taekwondo | 2010 Youth Olympian, 2012 Olympian |
| Jamaica | Kedisha Dallas | Athletics | |
| Japan | Ran Yagisawa | Dancesport | |
| Jordan | Shaden Adel Thweib | Martial Arts | |
| South Korea | Kim Da Hye | Shooting | |
| Kyrgyzstan | Saltanat Ibraeva | | NOC Volunteer |
| Latvia | Toms Markss | | PR Specialist at Latvian Cycling Federation |
| Lebanon | Tony Tarraf | Volleyball | Director of Lebanese Volleyball Federation |
| Lithuania | Gintare Okuleviciute | Rowing | |
| Macedonia | Nina Balaban | Shooting | |
| Madagascar | Harinelina Rakotondramanana | Fencing | |
| Malaysia | Benjamin Khor | Shooting | |
| Mauritius | Henry Fenouillot de Falbaire | Swimming | |
| Mexico | Andrea Probert Avila | Football, Triathlon | |
| Moldova | Ana Maria Stratu | Karate | |
| Mongolia | Tugsbayar Gansukh | Weightlifting | |
| Morocco | Ahmed Hamza Chraibi | Tennis | President and Founder of Arab Excellence |
| Namibia | Lurdi Aron | Basketball, Tennis | |
| Netherlands | Joyce Seesing | Cycling BMX | |
| New Zealand | Renee Hannah | Water Skiing | |
| Norway | Torgrim Sommerfeldt | Basketball | |
| Pakistan | Mahnoor Maqsood | Swimming | |
| Papua New Guinea | Hannah Ilave | Swimming, Triathlon | |
| Paraguay | Carlos Caballero Gomez | Squash | |
| Peru | Aleiandro Quinones | Canoeing | |
| Philippines | Nadine Gutierrez | Football, Muay-Thai, Swimming | NOC Intern |
| Poland | Monika Hojnisz | Biathlon | |
| Portugal | Mariana Catarino | Swimming | |
| Puerto Rico | Betsmara Cruz | Swimming | Coach |
| Qatar | Hannah Al-Bader | Handball | |
| Romania | Emil Imre | Short-Track Speed Skating | |
| Russia | Olga Ponomar | | Sports Journalist |
| Saint Lucia | Fredric Sweeney | Sailing | Coach |
| Senegal | Youssouph Ndao | Fencing | |
| Serbia | Aleksandra Kebic | Handball | NOC Staff |
| Singapore | Rui Qi Low | Sailing | |
| Slovakia | Monika Fasungova | Badminton | 2012 Olympian |
| Slovenia | Vanja Mesec | Handball | |
| South Africa | Reabetewe Mpete | Field Hockey | |
| Sri Lanka | Ishika de Silva | Rowing | |
| Sweden | Frida Nevalainen | Ice Hockey | 2006, 2010 Olympian |
| Switzerland | Lisa Gisler | Curling | 2012 Youth Olympian |
| Sudan | Alaa Muntasir | Equestrian | |
| Tajikistan | Negmatullo Rajabaliyev | Tennis | Coach |
| Thailand | Apisada Kusolsilp | | Sports Authority of Thailand Employee |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Jeannette Small | Badminton | Coach and NOC Staff |
| Tunisia | Marwen Chaieb | Rugby | Coach |
| Turkey | Giray Cavdar | Tennis | Coach |
| Uganda | Shamim Bangi | Badminton | |
| Ukraine | Oleksandr Usyk | Boxing | 2008, 2012 Olympian |
| United States | Jessica Luscinski | Football | Coach and NOC Staff |
| United States Virgin Islands | Jemille Vialet | Swimming | |
| Uzbekistan | Rashid Burnashev | Athletics | |
| Vietnam | Van Hao Nguyen | Athletics | |
| Yemen | Omar Al-Mogahed | Basketball, Football, Table Tennis | UN Yemeni Youth Delegate |
| Zambia | Samantha Miyanda | Football | |
| Zimbabwe | Rukudzo Gona | Basketball, Football, Rugby | |

## Controversies
### Isolation of Nigerian athletes in the Games

Following the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak, Chinese officials quarantined and isolated all Nigerian athletes from all sporting facilities despite all testing negative to Ebola before the games. The Nigerian Olympic committee reacted to the discrimination by withdrawing all its athletes from the games.

### Doping

One unnamed taekwondo athlete had been disqualified from competing at the Youth Olympics after testing positive for the banned diuretic furosemide. The information was released on 5 November 2014.