Decorated medallists adorn list of Athlete Role Models for Innsbruck 2012

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced the list of Innsbruck 2012 Athlete Role Models (ARMs) for the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games taking place from 13 to 22 January in Innsbruck, Austria.

The list features a number of star athletes nominated by the International Federations taking part in the Winter Youth Olympic Games and members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, led by Chairman and Olympic sprinter Frank Fredericks, who will also be on hand in Innsbruck to mentor the roughly 1,000 young athletes taking part.

"The International Federations have selected a fantastic collection of great athletes, who inspire not only on the field of play but off it as well," said Fredericks. "I am looking forward to joining them in Innsbruck next year, where I’m sure the young athletes will learn a great deal from them about what it takes to be at the top and how to live by the Olympic values."

This will be the second time ARMs will take part in a Youth Olympic Games following their successful and well-received debut at the inaugural Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010. The ARMs will spend time with the athletes, answering their questions and providing tips on everything from healthy eating to training regimens.

The ARMs will also participate alongside the athletes in the Culture and Education Programme, which will focus on Olympism and the Olympic values, skills development, well-being and healthy lifestyles, social responsibility and expression through digital media.

The ARMs will attend the competitions, visit the Youth Olympic Village and feature in "Meet the Role Models" forums designed to inspire and educate the participants with personal accounts of their own dreams and experiences, and the challenges they have overcome.

In addition, a dedicated Athlete Role Model lounge in the Youth Olympic Village will be available for the young athletes to drop in and ask questions first-hand to their icons.

At Innsbruck 2012, which will celebrate its 100-day countdown on 5 October, several new disciplines will be seen for the first time at an Olympic event, such as snowboard slopestype, ski half-pipe and ice hockey skills challenge. Also integrated into the sports programme for the first time is women’s ski jumping, the winner of which will be awarded the first Winter Youth Olympic Games medal.

For more information, contact: pressoffice@olympic.org

As a service to our readers, Around the Rings will provide verbatim texts of selected press releases issued by Olympic-related organizations, federations, businesses and sponsors.

These press releases appear as sent to Around the Rings and are not edited for spelling, grammar or punctuation.

Your complete source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only.