Lord Colin Moynihan - the President of the British Olympic Association, is a silver medallist from the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, where he was successful as the coxswain of the British rowing eight. Apart from that he also served as the Minister for Sport and Environment in Margaret Thatcher's government. He spoke highly of the course of events at the EYOWF 2011 so far.
In thirty years, I have seen many ceremonies at the Olympic Games and Youth Festivals, but the one I saw in the Tipsport Arena was one of the best ever. The course of the sporting competitions is also wonderful. The organisers of EYOWF 2011 deserve the gold medal for that!
Can EYOWF 2011 be of inspiration to London - the host of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games?
Of course! There are many things we can learn here. Above all, I think the volunteers here are exceptional - we would definitely make use of them in London.
Based on their good experience, do you think the organisers of this Festival would be able to organise a bigger event - Winter Olympics for example?
When I see the work of the Director of the Organising Committee, her professional team and the well-functioning team of volunteers, I am convinced the idea is realistic and they would be able to organiser the Olympic Games. However, this decision lies entirely in the hands of the International Olympic Committee; I cannot interfere with the selection.
Your son Nicholas starts in the Alpine Skiing on Ještěd - how do see his performance?
I am proud of him, though I have to admit I am a bit nervous. It is the first major sport challenge of his life. However, I can assure you that I did not influence his nomination in the national team at all. I try to support him, but not to be too stressful. He races on his own and he learns a lot.
Which winter disciplines do you like best?
Alpine Skiing. I go to races with my son, take him to the airport and generally provide a parent's services. Out of the other sports I used to admire power-lifting.
Which of the eight sport disciplines from the Youth Festival's programme would you try?
Probably Biathlon, although the hill on the track is quite steep, so by the time I reached the finishing line even the security service would probably have gone...
What have you seen in Liberec and what is next on your programme?
I arrived in Liberec two days before the Festival in order to take part in a conference on youth sport. My daily programme is linked with the British delegation. I accompany the athletes to the venues, I have taken part in meetings and we are having a common dinner with our athletes on Friday in the Olympic Village.