A total of 690 athletes, aged 16 and 17, plus officials have arrived in Azerbaijan's capital to stay in the Athletes Village which is ready more than a year ahead of the European Games.

They will be competing in the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium in a three-day event organised by European Athletics that will serve as a qualifying event for this year's Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing. 

The Stadium, named after a football referee who was linesman in the 1966 World Cup final when England beat West Germany 4-2, will not host athletics during the Games. 

It will stage archery while athletics - the European Athletics Team Championships 3rd League - is due to take place in the Olympic Stadium, which is currently still under construction. 

More than 600 youngsters are staying in the Athletes Village which is finished ready more than a year ahead of the European Games ©Baku 2015

But the event will still give Baku 2015 officials the opportunity to begin preparing properly for next year's Games, particularly testing the Athletes Village, which has been widely praised for its quality, particularly by European Olympic Committees President Patrick Hickey.

It will accommodate more than 6,000 athletes and officials during the European Games and has been designed to deliver the best conditions possible for those who will compete in 19 sports over 16 days.

The Village comprises 13 buildings, 1,042 apartments, 16 different types of apartments with three to four bedrooms per apartment and a total of 7,510 beds.

Work on the development of the Athletes Village will continue as Baku 2015 makes the transition from functional area planning to operational planning, integration and testing, including this weekend's event.

"I would like to warmly welcome these aspiring young athletes to Baku as they pursue qualification for the Youth Olympic Games," said Azad Rahimov, Azerbaijan's Minister of Youth and Sports and Baku 2015 chief executive.

"The European Youth Olympic Trials is a wonderful event that presents a great opportunity for our team to test a lot of the services that we will be providing ahead of next year's European Games."

Athletes preparing today at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium for the European Youth Olympic Trials, which is due to begin tomorrow ©Baku 2015

The Village will be tested again during European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, which is due to take place between June 9 and 15, and give Baku 2015 the chance to put a number of its operating models and procedures into practice.

Baku 2015 claim such early testing of the Athletes Village is unprecedented for a major multi-sport event.

"Every venue that will host competition at the European Games will be tested thoroughly before next summer as we continue our preparations to deliver an event that all of Europe will be eager to attend," said Simon Clegg, chief operating officer of Baku 2015.

"The opportunity to have competitors stay in the Athletes Village is also an important moment for us as we prepare to host more than 6,000 athletes there at next summer's Games.

"Initial feedback on the Athletes Village from competitors staying there has been excellent and we are delighted to be able to offer such world-class facilities to all of our guests."

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