"These Games are your Games. Every athlete is different. Guided by these Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect, each one of you makes the difference in sports and life. These experiences will stay with you for all your life."

Two Olympic champions and legends of Argentine sport, judoka Paula Pareto and sailor Santiago Lange, lit the Olympic cauldron.

The Youth Games is seen as a test-bed for future Olympic sports. Karate, climbing, beach handball, roller speed skating and breaking will make their Olympic debut at Buenos Aires 2018.

The first two have already been accepted onto the full Olympic program for Tokyo 2020. A series of new competition formats including badminton relay team event are also introduced.