Hosting the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games would be an "historic opportunity" to build upon the legacy programme of London 2012, British Olympic Association (BOA) chairman Sebastian Coe claimed today.
Coe, who is now the figurehead of the bid having replaced Colin Moynihan as head of the BOA last month, made his claim as the Scottish revealed full details of its candidature file during a special event at Tollcross International Swimming Centre.
The plans show the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC), the country's premier national venue for public events, concerts and conferences, hosting six events, including judo, wrestling, table tennis and boxing.
George Square, the city's principal civic square, will be turned into beach volleyball courts with a spectator area if the bid gets the green light.
Other highlights include Glasgow Green, which is set to be the prime venue for road cycling and the city's newly opened Emirates Arena, which will be the venue for badminton and basketball.
The Arena, which was developed as part of a massive regeneration of Glasgow's East End, is linked to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and is one of the largest dedicated indoor sports venues in Europe.
Of the 17 venues that are part of the Glasgow 2018 bid, 15 are either already in use or are scheduled for completion before the end of next year as the city prepares to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The Olympic Village will be "vibrant, welcoming and inspiring" and 85 per cent of the 17 proposed competition venues will be 20 minutes or less travel time away, claim Glasgow 2018 officials.
"Warmth and hospitality alongside an excellent reputation for hosting world-class sport events, makes Glasgow, and Scotland, the perfect stage for the Youth Olympic Games in 2018," said Shona Robison, Scotland's Commonwealth Games and Sport Minister.
"Young athletes competing at the top of their field rightly expect the very best facilities and support services.
Glasgow is one of the favourites to be awarded the Games, but will face tough opposition from Buenos Aires, Guadalajara, Medellín and Rotterdam, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) due to announce the winner at a meeting in Lausanne on July 4.
"The Youth Olympic Games is a fresh, exciting young product," said Coe, who is also the chairman of London 2012."By entrusting it to Glasgow 2018 the Olympic family will have a historic opportunity to draw on the unprecedented pool of sophisticated event-hosting expertise and global youth engagement programmes in the UK right now.
"We delivered our promises and we achieved our goals at London 2012, and we're ready to continue that partnership with the Olympic family in Glasgow in 2018 - another sports city in our sporting nation.
"Legacy does not happen by itself,
"Glasgow 2018 could be a crucial next step on that journey for the UK with the Olympic movement - a way of amplifying and accelerating the impact of a Games that was totally focused on young people."