Tonight's closing ceremony will cap off two weeks of competition among some of the world's elite teenage athletes.

But one of the big questions being asked in Nanjing now is what's next for the young athletes.

CRI's Jordan Lee has more from Nanjing.

As the young Olympians walk off the podium and through the media zone, they are almost always asked one question. So what's next for you?

For many of the older athletes, the Youth Olympics was their last junior level event.

Dylan Schmidt, the friendly New Zealander who was the surprise gold medalist in the men's trampoline final, said up next for him is the senior trampolining circuit.

"I'm committing senior, so this is my last junior level event. I've got my first senior event which is the world championships in November this year. So it's coming up. I'm going to go home, do some exams, and train hard for that."

Kenyan rugby sevens player Brian Mokua said his goal is landing a spot on the national sevens team and competing on the IRB rugby sevens tour.

"In rugby, maybe I want to play for my country, the national team, the main team. Because I'm playing for the junior team now. Maybe in the next one year I will be on the senior team now. "

It's almost pointless to ask these teenagers whether they dream of making it to the Olympics someday. They all have Olympic dreams.

Many of the younger ones acknowledge that qualifying for the Olympics is a ways down the road. But some are shooting for Rio 2016, like USA's rugby sevens player Apaau Mailau.

"My experience here has been amazing. You know it's been a little rough with the games going on, we're competing against the toughest team. But my experience here has been a blessing. For me it's always been a dream to be in the Olympics. Before I played rugby, I played volleyball, thinking I was going to make it into the Olympics for volleyball. Guess it didn't really work out. So I decided to play rugby, and look where I ended up."

The youth games are like a crash course in how a major international competition works.

And for kids who have the raw talent, but not the resources that allow them to compete at major tournaments on a regular basis, it's an invaluable experience.

For example, the Nanjing Games was the first international competition for Botswana's 400 meter silver medalist Karabo Sibanda.

"Very great, this is my first time being at a very large competition like this. It's a very good experience. I've made very good friends, like these guys we're all friends."

Untested athletes like Sibanda learn how qualifying rounds work, how to adjust to competing in a new country and new climate, and how to deal with the pressure that comes from performing when you feel like the whole world's watching.

For many, the youth Olympics will undoubtedly be their springboard to Olympic success.

South African swimmer Chad Le Clos won five medals at the first summer Youth Olympics in Singapore. He then went on to win gold in the 200m butterfly at the London 2012 Olympics and two world titles in 2013.

"The youth Olympic games was the beginning for me of everything. Back in 2010, when I was still a junior, I got to go to the Youth Olympic Games, it was really the first time I traveled overseas and raced against international competitors. And I think that platform of the Youth Olympic Games gave me the confidence that I needed to go one and win the commonwealth games two months later, the world championships six months later, and so on to the Olympic gold. Each competition for me I used as a stepping stone. I consider the youth Olympic games in Singapore as definitely the biggest one so far."

The Youth Olympic Games may not record an official medal count, and it may not feature the most elite competition across all sporting categories. But one thing's for sure, these games are worth taking seriously.