Great Britain will go head to head with Argentina for the 2018 Youth Olympics after it was announced Glasgow is to bid to stage the games.
The British Olympic Association (BOA) confirmed on Wednesday they will formally submit Glasgow, which is hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games, as their candidate city.
Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, is also bidding and the South American city has signed up Vero Communications, the agency set up by former London 2012 communications director Mike Lee, to help their bid.
BOA chairman Colin Moynihan said: "We believe that hosting the 2018 Youth Olympic Games would present an outstanding and unique opportunity to further expand the legacy of the London 2012 Games.
"Among the many attributes that Glasgow has to offer the Olympic Movement is the fact that, as host city of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, a great deal of the required infrastructure will already be in place.
"Glasgow also has outstanding leadership, a strong dedication to sport and will benefit greatly from the experience of hosting a major international multi-sport competition in 2014."
Moynihan said the BOA realise there will be intense competition for the youth games.
He added: "The Youth Olympic Games have quickly established themselves as an important and inspirational event in the international sporting calendar.
"We know the bidding process will be highly competitive, but we are confident that in Glasgow we have an outstanding candidate city."
Shona Robinson, minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, added: "A winning bid will not only ensure that Glasgow is one of a limited number of cities worldwide which has Olympic status, it will build on the legacy created by the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 Commonwealth Games and further enhance Scotland's already enviable reputation as the perfect stage for hosting major sporting events."
The candidature file will be delivered to the IOC in October 2012, a shortlist will be produced in January 2013 with the host city announced in the summer of 2013.
The bid will be underwritten by the City of Glasgow Council and Scottish Government.
The first summer Youth Olympics took place in Singapore in 2010 and the 2014 Games will take place in Nanjing, China.
