But this hasn't been achieved without its challenges.

Peter Mennel (right), the Austrian Olympic Committee's secretary general, celebrates the success of Austria's young athletes with Chef de Mission Christoph Sieber (left) ©ÖOCGEPA



The success, as Mennel explains, has been built on a solid relationship between the ÖOC and the Liechtenstein Olympic Committee, whose President is Leo Kranz.

"It's not an easy task to co-host because you have to have two leading people who can work very close and understand each other and trust each other," he told insidethegames.

"When two NOCs (National Olympic Committees) work together, you have different Governments, you have different legislations and laws, different tax laws, different mind-sets and dialects, and different approaches to things, but it worked out very well because we trust each other.

"We were very confident that things were being done in the right way and we were not too sceptical.

"It was very good working relationship between Leo Kranz and I - we worked together very intensely.

"We had to change the chief executive a year ago and everybody agreed to this.

"It was the right and best decision we made because Philipp does an excellent job."

Mennel, who is from the co-hosting state of Vorarlberg and still primarily based there, said he was "completely struck by emotion" upon hearing the news that local Alpine skier Pascal Fritz had claimed the boys' giant slalom gold medal on the opening day of the EYOF.

And watching him pump his fists in the air last night as Austria's Anna-Maria Schreder and Tamara Steiner received their respective gold and silver medals from the girls' biathlon six kilometres sprint, I was left in no doubt as to just how proud Mennel is to see the country's young athletes flourishing on home soil, and more specifically in the state where he grew up.

It's hardly surprising really, given that even beyond his upbringing, much of his life has evolved around Vorarlberg.

He was formerly the chief executive of the state's savings and loans bank Sparkasse, while his sister, Bernadette Mennel, is Vorarlberg's Sports Minister, who he says he works with "very well, on a very professional basis."

The Montafon Nordic in Tschagguns has played host to some brilliant ski jumping action ©ITG



Mennel insists that the level of contacts he has established in his previous career, coupled with his close ties to the Austrian Ski Federation and the International Ski Federation, has made his role within the EYOF much easier.

"Many, many people know me and so, if I make a phone call, perhaps sometimes things can happen which would not happen somewhere else," he said.

"They know me as being honest and they know that I work very precisely, so they can rely on my word.

"I don't need any contracts - we don't have to sign and have to send e-mails back and forth.

"I just make the call, tell them the way it is, and they know."

Mennel said the feedback from the NOCs regarding the organisation of the EYOF has been nothing but positive, and from a personal perspective, I have to say the Organising Committee has delivered what it promised at the seminar of the technical delegates and Chefs de Mission in October, which I was fortunate enough to attend.

There are very few reasons to suggest this positive outlook will change between now and Friday (January 30), when the Games come to a close, and it seems inevitable that the inaugural co-hosted Olympic event will go down as a great example for future joint bidders to follow.

Philipp Groborsch, the chief executive of EYOF 2015, says Austria and Liechtenstein have "grown together into one" for the duration of the Games ©ÖOC/GEPA



The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will be looking on with particular interest after endorsing the idea of sharing future Olympic and Paralympic Games between cities and countries, through its recent Agenda 2020 reform process.

Although the EYOF is by no means on the same level as the Olympics in terms of its scale, the 2015 edition has certainly shown how two nations can work effectively in harmony to achieve a common goal.

There's no saying for sure that this harmony will be replicated between future joint hosts, but given the widely recognised need for change in the bidding landscape, the IOC surely has to accept that element of risk.

With this in mind, and another busy day of winter sport ahead, it's time for me to get out and about and soak up some more of the carnival atmosphere which I've experienced in recent days.

Many top-class athletes have started their journey at the EYOFs and perhaps one day, I'll see the names of some of the athletes here at a Winter Olympic Games.

It may even be at a co-hosted Winter Olympic Games.

Watch this space...

Daniel Etchells is a reporter for insidethegames. To follow him on Twitter click here.