First CoComm Meeting for Gangwon 2024

(ATR) The first Coordination Commission meeting for Gangwon 2024 reveals the vision for the 4th Winter Youth Olympics.

"Gangwon 2024 – youth celebrating peaceful coexistence and unity through sport to create a better future together" is to provide the foundation for all the activities by the Korean hosts in the years to come.

The Winter YOG 2024, the first Winter YOG to be held in Asia, will build on the Olympic Games legacy of the 2018 Winter Games, which Gangwon Province hosted.

Through the various programs that are to be developed in collaboration with the PyeongChang 2018 Legacy Foundation, young people in the region will be encouraged to engage in sport and cultural and educational activities before, throughout and after the Games.

The local youth mobilization program will kick off when the 1,000-day countdown begins on April 24. The youth supporters, who are currently being selected, will be aged between 13 and 24. They will help to create and promote communication opportunities and content to raise awareness of the YOG among their peers.

The YOG athletes will develop new perspectives and skills through their participation in a dedicated Learn & Share program.

Representatives of the IOC and Gangwon 2024 used the first Coordination Commission meeting, held virtually on March 30-31, to discuss opportunities and challenges related to the project.

"The impact of the YOG stretches far beyond the competition period. Gangwon 2024 has the opportunity to build on the great work already accomplished by PyeongChang 2018 and leverage the ongoing activities in youth sport and Olympic values education to mobilize and engage youth," Coordination Commission Chair and IOC Member Hong Zhang said.

"This is a unique opportunity that is afforded by hosting the Olympic Winter Games and the Winter YOG within a six-year time span. Transformation starts now. The positive impacts on the local youth have the potential to be exponential."

Another important topic discussed during the meeting was the competition sites for the YOG. Planning for freestyle skiing and snowboard sites and facilities still needs to be completed with a joint site assessment with the International Ski Federation (FIS) due to be finalized this spring.

Gangwon 2024 will be cost-efficient and sustainable since most of the competitions will take place in PyeongChang (mountain sports) and Gangneung (ice sports), with participating athletes competing in some of the same sites as Olympians did in 2018.

The IOC CoComm was pleased that the Gangwon 2024 Organizing Committee has already clearly established the roles and responsibilities for all the stakeholders in Korea, which is key to delivering the vision and ambitions of the YOG.

Finally, the two sides discussed the collaborative development of the Edition Plan, a comprehensive document which defines all the key elements necessary for the delivery of the event. The Edition Plan is currently being crafted and will be finalized in the coming months.

Homepage photo: OIS

Written by Gerard Farek

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