Lausanne 2020 hosted a key progress meeting in Champéry ©Lausanne 2020

Lausanne 2020 have announced that preparations for the next Winter Youth Olympic Games are "on track" and are even "ahead of schedule" in some areas.

Organisers in the Swiss city held a meeting with representatives from all of the Games venues to discuss progress and have responded positively.

It comes after planning for the Games in the Olympic Capital entered the organisational phase in April.

There are now just 17 months before the Opening Ceremony on January 9.

Sports will be held at various Swiss venues including curling at Champéry, where the meeting was held.

Alpine skiing will take place at Les Diablerets in the Swiss Alps with freestyle in Leysin and ski cross, snowboard cross and ski mountaineering in Villars-sur-Ollon.

St Moritz will host sliding sports and long track speed skating while short track, figure skating and ice hockey will be in Lausanne itself at the Centre intercommunal de glace de Malley.

Le Brassus will host cross-country with ski jumping, biathlon and Nordic combined across the French border in Prémanon.

The University of Lausanne will serve as the Athletes' Village.

Lausanne 2020 President Patrick Baumann, a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and also the head of the Global Association of International Sports Federations, was among those present at the meeting.

Various parts of Switzerland will host sport with some events taking place in France ©Lausanne 2020
Various parts of Switzerland will host sport with some events taking place in France ©Lausanne 2020

"The Olympic Games can be used as a tool for sustainable development," he said.

"With Lausanne 2020, we are seeing a united team of regions, municipalities and volunteers striving to achieve a common goal, accelerating their decision making processes and preparing the slopes and venues in Lausanne and in the mountains at the required standards.

"We are extremely proud of what they have achieved so far.

"With the magnificent Swiss Alps as our natural backdrop and the heart of the Olympic Movement at its centre, we will have memorable Youth Olympic Games." 

Lausanne 2020 will be the third edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games after Innsbruck 2012 and Lillehammer 2016.

The home of the IOC was awarded the event in 2015, defeating sole Romanian rival Brasov.

"I am pleased to note the excellent collaboration between the host competition sites, which are all clearly working towards the same objective - to organise an event that will enable young athletes to shine in the best possible conditions," said Lausanne 2020 chief executive Ian Logan.

"We all look forward to seeing all our sites promote themselves in the best possible way to the sporting youth of the world in just 17 months."