Around Innsbruck - Yu Na Kim, Perfect Weather, No New Austrian Olympic Bid

Yu Na Kim Salutes YOG Athletes at Welcome Party

A high-energy welcome Thursday night, the eve of the first Winter Youth Olympic Games, greeted many of the 1,059 athletes from 70 nations here in Innsbruck. A DJ kicked off the bounding program of music and entertainment that lasted about an hour at the Innsbruck Congress, the center of the YOG culture and education events.

Along with the DJ, the rock band IBK Tribe, a four-piece brass band, four dancers in traditional Tyrolean attire, four break dancers, a singer and a rapper all joined together in a rendition of "Carrying the Flame," which was composed specifically for the party.

Making an appearance and receiving a thunderous ovation was 2010 Olympic figure skating gold medalist Yu Na Kim.

"It’s an honor to be here for the Games," said the South Korean Olympic champion, now 21. "I’m looking forward to having fun with the young athletes and watching their competitions."

Thirteen Athlete Role Models, who will help mentor the young athletes during the Games, also took to the stage.

"We are here for you – come and find us and ask us any questions that you want," said German Olympic fencing silver medalist Claudia Bokel. "You can find us everywhere in these red jackets," she joked.

IOC President Jacques Rogge, who might have been an impressive Youth Olympian in his day, let the youngsters do the talking at the soiree and gave no speech.

YOG Leaders Say Innsbruck Ready, But Not for Olympics

On the day before the opening ceremony, Innsbruck 2012 CEO Peter Bayer, Mayor Christine Oppitz Plorer and other members of the organizing committee told media at the Innsbruck Town Hall that the city is a good fit for the first-ever Winter Youth Olympic Games.

"Innsbruck is well known for winter sport and the city’s motto is alpine and urban lifestyle," said Oppitz Plorer.

"It means that we have a quality of life connected to culture and education. I’m sure that for these third Olympic Games we will be able to draw upon our really good resume. After 10 days these Games will help contribute to increase our reputation to host other major events."

The mayor is referring to the YOG as Innsbruck’s third Olympics following hosting of the 1964 and 1976 Winter Games.

But she categorically rejected any notion that the YOG would lead to a new bid for the Winter Olympics.

"No" was her response to the question posed by ATR at the press conference.

Austrian Olympic Committee leaders also dismissed any talk of a bid rising from the YOG experience.

Weather Perfect

Innsbruck has received consistent snowfall beginning just prior to the Christmas holiday and continuing until early this week, blanketing the region and providing a postcard setting.

"Regarding the weather, we couldn’t have asked for better," said Innsbruck 2012 CEO Peter Bayer.

"Franz Klammer was making me nervous saying thatin 1964 and 1976, we hardly had any snow. But the weather has proved him wrong," said Bayer about the 1976 Olympic downhill champion.

However, the abundance of recent snowfall resulted in slightly more challenging preparations at the three mountain venues: Patscherkofel mountain which will host alpine events, Kühtai which will be home to freestyle skiing and snowboarding and Seefeld where all Nordic events will occur.

"We definitely are ready," said Innsbruck 2012 sports director Werner Margreiter.

"I’m thankful to everyone working at the Patscherkofel, Kühtai and Seefeld," he added about the three outdoor mountains venues. "Everyone has done a fantastic job trying to provide perfect conditions grooming the slopes."

Over the past few days, there have been bright, sunny skies in Innsbruck and at the nearby venues.

Light snowfall is expected to begin Thursday evening with possible accumulation of five to 10 centimeters in theforecast, but expected to stop prior to Friday evening'a opening ceremony which begins at 6:30pm local time.

Ceremony Producer Goes Small

Innsbruck 2012 creative director Gerhard Lenz says Friday evening’s opening ceremony at Bergisel Stadium is designed to be small in scale.

"There will be no gigantism like other Olympic opening ceremonies," said Lenz. "Innsbruck is about family values and hospitality. The opening ceremony will be a cozy atmosphere at the Bergisel Stadium."

The Olympic Flame will be lit in the stadium for the third time in the Tyrolean capital’s history.

Roughly 15,000 visitors are expected to attend. Nearly all of the 600 ceremony performers are volunteers or local school children.

"Everyone here has been working really hard. We began working on the concept five months ago, but I can’t give details because then there will not be any surprise effect," Lenz said.

The ceremony is expected to begin at 6:30pm local time and culminate at 8:00pm, short in duration by traditional Olympic ceremony standards. Lenz said the early finish was out of concern not to keep the youth Olympians up too late–or expose them and the stadium visitors to steadily dropping temperatures, which could tumble to minus 10c Friday night.

Among the dignitaries attending will be IOC President Jacques Rogge, Austrian President Heinz Fischer, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, and Hungarian President and IOC member Pál Schmitt.

Innsbruck’s Brenner Road will be closed and there will be no parking at Bergisel Stadium. Visitors are encouraged to use public transportation including city trams. Additional federal railways and buses will be running on Friday evening.

Written and reported in Innsbruck by Ed Hula and Brian Pinelli.

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