IOC President Thomas Bach met with taekwondo athletes in Buenos Aires ©World Taekwondo

Future taekwondo stars were showcased to International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach when he watched the final day of the sport at the Buenos Aires 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games.

The Youth Olympics has provided a strong platform for the sport's stars since the multi-sport event's first edition at Singapore 2010.

Britain's Jade Jones is among the graduates from the event, having gone on from winning Youth Olympic gold to claiming back-to-back Olympic titles at London 2012 and Rio 2016.

China's Zheng Shuyin was also a champion in Singapore, which aided her path to the women's over-67 kilogram gold in Rio.

Thailand's Panipak Wongpattanakit and Iran's Kimia Alizadeh were gold medallists at Nanjing 2014, before going on to clinch bronze medals at the last Olympic Games.

Taekwondo athletes in Buenos Aires will hope to mirror those stories, having competed in Argentina's capital city.

Bach, who was accompanied by IOC sports director Kit McConnell for the last day of taekwondo finals, claimed the athletes on show proved the sport has a strong future.

"With these young athletes, taekwondo certainly has a bright future," Bach was quoted as saying.

"It is amazing how fast it is developing, especially with the new judging system.

"We can see why it is one of the fastest growing sports in the world."

World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue and secretary general Hoss Rafaty watched the competitions alongside the IOC officials.

The Youth Olympics has provided a platform for several future Olympic medallists, including Jade Jones, left ©World Taekwondo
The Youth Olympics has provided a platform for several future Olympic medallists, including Jade Jones, left ©World Taekwondo

The governing body stated that medals were won by 24 different countries at the Games, demonstrating the global strength of taekwondo.

They highlighted the bronze medal secured by Mahamadou Maharana Amadou of Niger as one of the highlights, as he only qualified for the competition as a wildcard.

"It was an honour to welcome IOC President Bach to our taekwondo venue," said Choue.

"Our young athletes put on an exciting show and showcased all the speed, skill and athleticism that taekwondo is known for.

"The Youth Olympic Games is a very important event for our young athletes as not only does it allow them to compete on a world stage but it also brings them together from countries all around the world and teaches them the Olympic values.

"These athletes are the future of our sport and the future of the Olympic Movement and so it is critical that they are given the best possible opportunities to develop."

A total of 100 taekwondo athletes from 58 countries competed in 10 weight categories at Buenos Aires, with an equal gender split.

Parity was also achieved among the international referees.