Baumann, 47, is currently the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) secretary general and has served as a member of the IOC since 2007, with his nomination having been made with the consultation and "full support" of the four other Swiss members. 

He will take the helm of a project which is aiming to "capture a unique Olympic heritage and share it with the youth of the world". 

"It is with great honour and excitement that I have accepted this role," said Baumann.

"The great adventure which starts today proposes an important outlook on tomorrow's youth.

"We want to offer them a new opportunity to shape their future with new ideas and ambitions.

"It is no coincidence that the city and region have chosen to submit a bid for this event, because sport plays a crucial role here, and we need to invest in youth and engage them to do more sports."

Despite being the headquarters of the IOC, Lausanne has never hosted an Olympic Games ©AFP/Getty Images






Lausanne will be bidding to host the third edition of the Winter Youth Olympics, following an inaugural event in Innsbruck in 2012 and a second version due to take place in Lillehammer in 2016.

Jörg Schild, President of the Swiss Olympic Association, claimed hosting the event would wield significance on a number of different levels. 

"It is with great joy that we are here today, telling the IOC how much we believe that the Youth Olympic Games can create a deep impact, not only for sport in Switzerland, but for the sporting youth of the world as well. 

"We now look forward to explaining how we think we can be strong partners to the IOC to deliver on such a promise."