Legacy delivery of Youth Olympic Games: case studies on management practices of 2016 Lillehammer, 2018 Buenos Aires and 2024 Gangwon

Purpose Answering calls for more research on Youth Olympic Games (YOGs) legacy, this study examines how Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committees (YOGOCs) plan, manage and sustain legacy delivery. Applying the leveraging perspective that seeks strategies for effective legacy management/delivery, the study investigates management structures/systems, best practices and challenges shaping YOG legacy. Design/Methodology/Approach A qualitative analysis was conducted utilizing semi-structured interviews with legacy managers from 2016 Lillehammer, 2018 Buenos Aires and 2024 Gangwon YOGs. Thematic analysis combined a priori coding derived from the leveraging perspective with open coding to surface emergent themes, followed by cross-case comparison to identify patterns in legacy management structures/systems, best practices and challenges within/across the cases. Findings The study found that YOGOCs adopted different legacy management structures/systems based on contextual factors. For instance, Lillehammer employed a decentralized approach, Buenos Aires a centralized unit and Gangwon an outsourced model. Key success factors for leverage included long-term strategic vision, stakeholder involvement, using existing Olympic legacies and strong leadership commitment. Conversely, challenges that diminished leverage included limited resources, lack of intra-organizational support, inadequate planning and political changes. Establishing a permanent legacy entity and ensuring authority and funding emerged as principal means for sustaining legacy post-event. Originality/Value This study is among the first to apply a structured leveraging perspective to the underresearched area of YOG legacy. By comparing the full event cycles of three YOGs, it offers novel insights into YOG-specific managerial demands, identifies distinct governance structures and systems, and provides a nuanced understanding of legacy leveraging processes.