YOG 2010: Rogge believes teen stars won't stay away from next Youth Olympics

By Tom Reynolds, Sportsbeat, in Singapore

JACQUES Rogge believes the success of the first-ever Youth Olympic Games will mean stayaway stars will be a thing of the past.

WORK AHEAD: Jacques Rogge is happy with the first edition of his Youth Olympic Games in Singapore - but wants bigger names to attend in Nanjing (Singapore Press Holdings)

Many athletes prioritised other competitions, such as the World Junior Athletics Championships or European Junior Swimming Championships, over the inaugural event in Singapore, which concludes with a closing ceremony later today.

Great Britain won 13 medals, including golds for taekwondo player Jade Jones, rowers Georgia Merrill-Howard and Fiona Gammond, gymnast Sam Oldham, Olly Golding in the tennis men's doubles and Carian Scudamore in the team show jumping.

While world diving champion Tom Daley travelled to compete in his less favoured springboard event, many of Britain's most talented teens were absent, including sprinter Jodie Williams, hurdler Jack Meredith and swimmer Achieng Ajulu-Bushell, who all focussed their attentions elsewhere.

However, Rogge acknowledges national associations were right to be cautious about the first-ever Youth Olympics but insists he doesn't expect the same problem at the next edition of the event in Nanjing in four years time.

"There's a number of countries that have not sent their absolute top athletes but a little lower level, they all told me that they regret it," he said. 

"They admitted they have underestimated the scope and the vitality of the competition so for those countries where the top athletes were not present, I got the assurance that next time they will be."

Rogge also insisted he would sit down with Sepp Blatter, his opposite number at Fifa, to ensure a stronger slate of teams in Nanjing.

Fifa has well developed age group World Championship events, which was reflected in the teams that entered. China beat Equatorial Guinea to win the women's gold medal while Bolivia beat Haiti in the men's final.

"It is true that in football we didn't have the very strong teams, this was a policy of Fifa, we said to Fifa that we would prefer to have the stronger teams next time and we will discuss this," added Rogge.