Snowboard and ski cross at Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games: Preview, full schedule, and how to watch live YOG action
Discover how to watch the best under-18 SBX and ski cross racers in action at the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Gangwon 2024, live on Olympics.com and the official Olympics app.
Dynamic head-to-head cross races will kick off the snowboard and freestyle skiing competitions at the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games.
More than 100 athletes will feature in the events, battling for individual honours to start and later joining forces to compete in the mixed team events.
While the snowboard mixed event has been on the programme since Lillehammer 2016, mixed team ski cross is making its Youth Olympic Games debut in Gangwon.
Discover the full schedule for the cross events, competition format and how you can watch live on Olympics.com and the official Olympics app.
Snowboard and ski cross format at Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympics
Three sets of medals are available in each the snowboard and ski cross events.
The cross events in both sports follow the same format. Four athletes set off from the starting gate, racing down a downhill course that features a variety of obstacles such as jumps, banked turns and rollers. The first rider to cross the finish line wins.
In the mixed team relay, teams made up of one boy and one girl compete against each other. The first team member leaves the starting gate first. The second team member follows as soon as their teammate has crossed the finish line. The first team to have both competitors across the finish line wins.
Snowboard and ski cross venue location and dates at Gangwon 2024
The competition in ski cross and snowboard cross will be held at the Welli Hilli Park Ski Resort in Hoengseong.
Unlike most of the other Gangwon 2024 venues, Welli Hilli was not used during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games. The ski resort still has plenty of top-level competition experience, however, having hosted FIS World Cups and world championships in the past.
The two-day snowboard cross competition starts with the individual event on Day 1 of the Games, on 20 January, followed by the mixed team event on 21 January.
The ski cross competition will be held on 23 and 24 January.
Gangwon 2024: Snowboard cross and ski cross athletes to watch
The fourth Winter Youth Olympic Games will feature 56 ski cross athletes and 56 snowboard cross athletes.
Switzerland enjoyed the most success in the cross events at the previous Youth Olympics at Lausanne 2020. Valerio Jud took gold in SBX and also helped his Swiss teammates to gold in the mixed event, while his compatriot Marie Krista was victorious in the women's ’ ski cross.
Noemie Wiedmer, 16, hopes to continue this momentum. The national junior champion has had seven FIS podiums in 2023, including one win, as well as two wins on the junior circuit.
On the men's side, Noah Kocherhans and Jonas Aschilier bring a wealth of experience to the Swiss SBX squad, having already competed at numerous local and international competitions. These past starts should help the two teens keep their cool in Gangwon despite the Olympic spotlight.
Sweden also fields a strong team. Skier Alexandra Nilsson, younger sister of 2023 junior champion Fredrik Nilsson, headlines the delegation. She won bronze at the European Youth Olympic Festival and has also placed among the Top 10 at multiple European Cup, FIS and junior races.
Fellow Swedish skier William Young Shing took silver at the EYOF and has since cracked the Top 10 in FIS races.
Canada’s Rose Savard-Ferguson is another athlete worth keeping an eye on. The daughter of Nagano 1998 Olympic figure skater Marie-Claude Savard-Gagnon, Savard-Ferguson was an accomplished figure skater herself before transitioning to SBX and putting in some solid races on the Nor-Am Cup.
Full snowboard and ski cross schedule at Gangwon 2024
All times are Korea Standard Time (UTC/GMT +9 hours) and are subject to change
Saturday 20 January
11:00-14:45 - Men's/women's snowboard cross
Sunday 21 January
10:45-12:15 – Mixed team snowboard cross
Tuesday 23 January
11:00-14:45 – Men's/women's ski cross
Wednesday 24 January
10:45-12:15 – Mixed team ski cross
How to watch snowboard and ski cross at Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games
Action from all 13 competition days at Gangwon 2024, including every competition taking place at the Welli Hilli Park Ski Resort, will be streamed on dedicated feeds on Olympics.com and on the official Olympics app for mobile devices.
You can also watch full replays on demand on Olympics.com and catch highlights across the official Olympics social media accounts.
