Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024 to learn from Beijing 2022
The Gangwon 2024 Organising Committee is taking full advantage of being at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 to experience an Olympic Winter Games first-hand. The Korean organisers are currently observing the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and will no doubt be taking back some lessons from their experience in Beijing, as they hope to take the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) to the next level by attracting younger audiences to feel the Olympic spirit and engage them through unique digital experiences.
As part of their visit to Beijing, IOC President Thomas Bach met with Gangwon 2024 Organising Committee (YOGOC) President Shin Chang-jae and the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, Hwang Hee to discuss the preparations for the 4th Winter YOG, which will bring together 1,900 young athletes from across the world for 14 days which include the opening ceremony and 13 days of competition.
Thomas Bach, President of the IOC said: “Gangwon 2024 learning from Beijing 2022 will support the preparations for the Winter YOG, after the impressive Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. We are looking forward to great cooperation in the preparations of Winter Youth Olympic Games in the Province of Gangwon.”
Minister Hwang said “The Ministry will provide full support for the success of Gangwon 2024, for the Games to carry on the legacy of PyeongChang 2018 and to bring peace to the Korean peninsula. Our continued efforts include hosting international forums for the spread of the Olympic values and cooperating with the IOC on solutions for the development of a festival of cultural and educational activities for local young people.”
“With less than two years to go until the YOG, the YOGOC is working hard to provide the athletes and Korean youngsters with a transformative experience,” said Gangwon 2024 President Shin. “We have settled into our offices in the heart of PyeongChang. Our team has been strengthened and is more motivated than ever”.
Straight after the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, the next Olympic Event on the calendar is the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games. In less than two years, the fourth edition of the Winter YOG will take place in Gangwon Province (Republic of Korea) from 19 January to 1 February 2024.
Gangwon 2024’s vision is full of promise: “young people celebrating peaceful co-existence and unity through sport to build a better future”. Gangwon 2024 events will be staged across four different host sites, National Olympic Committees (NOC) delegations will be accommodated in two Youth Olympic Villages, innovative and digitalized solutions will be implemented wherever possible.
Youth Olympic Games
The Youth Olympic Games are aimed at bringing together talented young athletes aged from 15 to 18 from around the world. The sports programme is mainly based on that of the Olympic Games. In addition, it includes exciting new sports, disciplines and formats.
Away from the field of play, the education programme uses a variety of fun and interactive activities, workshops and team-building exercises to give the participating athletes the opportunity to learn about the Olympic values, explore other cultures, develop the skills to become true ambassadors of their sport, and improve their training methods and performance.