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RECAP: 2023 AAU Junior Olympic Games

The AAU Junior Olympic Games took over Des Moines, Iowa this summer

Aug 08, 2023

RECAP: 2023 AAU Junior Olympic Games

2023 AAU Junior Olympic Games
Dates: July 25 - August 5, 2023
Location: Des Moines, Iowa
AAU Junior Olympic Games

DES MOINES, IOWA (August 8, 2023) -- ​From world records to photo finishes. From board breaks to takedowns. From somersaults to fast hands. The 2023 AAU Junior Olympic Games had amazing moments from start to finish!

More than 14,000 athletes brought the heat across 11 days of competition during the 57th AAU Junior Olympic Games in Des Moines, Iowa.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Eleven different sports were featured throughout the two-week event, including trampoline and tumbling, swimming, karate, baton twirling, sport stacking, wrestling, taekwondo, jump rope, fencing, field hockey, and track and field.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The MidAmerican Energy Complex RecPlex and Wellmark YMCA hosted the first crop of events, featuring board breaking at taekwondo and weapons forms in karate, synchronized trampoline, baton twirling, and some serious takedowns at wrestling. In the growing discipline of sport stacking, the top athletes completed the popular 3-3-3 stack in less than two seconds.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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In Iowa City, Grant Field hosted field hockey for six teams of upperclassmen women, selected based on performance at previous events.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The energy remained high moving into the final days of the Games, as 11,000 athletes competed in Track and Field at the illustrious Drake Stadium. Over 20 records were broken, including multiple athletes and teams who topped their own records from earlier in the meet.
 

Also at Drake, the Celebration of Athletes highlighted the vast AAU community, as each competitor walked with their state or territory to commemorate their accomplishment of attending the Games. Jump rope participants put their moves on display as well, capping off the walk with three impressive double dutch routines. 
 

The event brought an estimated $44 million in economic impact to the region, and is the largest multi-sport event for youth in the United States. The AAU Junior Olympic Games will return to Des Moines in 2026 and 2030.

To see a glimpse of the non-stop action from the 2023 AAU Junior Olympic Games, follow us on Instagram @aausports and follow us on Facebook. 
 

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The AAU was founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in amateur sports. During its early years, the AAU served as a leader in international sport representing the U.S. in the international sports federations. The AAU worked closely with the Olympic movement to prepare athletes for the Olympic Games. After the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, the AAU has focused its efforts into providing sports programs for all participants of all ages beginning at the grass roots level. The philosophy of "Sports for All, Forever," is shared by nearly 800,000 participants and over 150,000 volunteers.   

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