The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced South Korean figure skating legend Yuna Kim as the latest Ambassador to support the Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games, which will take place from 12 to 21 February next year in Norway.
Widely known as "Queen Yuna" for her long-standing success on the ice, the Olympic champion paid a special visit to the host city to mark the announcement of her role. Yuna spent the day visiting the Youth Olympic Village, touring Lillehammer’s venues and paying the local organisers a visit. This evening she will host a skating workshop for local youngsters and the Norwegian national figure skating team at the Hamar Olympic Amphitheatre – the figure skating venue for the Youth Olympic Games, also used during the Olympic Winter Games Lillehammer 1994.
For Youth Olympic fans around the world, Yuna will be available for a live social media chat tomorrow (28 August) on Periscope at 10.30 a.m. GMT+2. For more information go to twitter.com/youtholympics. Fans can send their questions for Yuna to answer on Twitter using the hashtag #AskYuna.
Also an Ambassador for the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck in 2012, Yuna is once again committed to supporting the event and has a wealth of experience to share with the young athletes and fans, from winning gold at Vancouver 2010 to balancing the pressures of international competition. In her role as Ambassador, Yuna is joined by Alpine skiers Lindsey Vonn and Kjetil Jansrud, ice hockey star Mats Zuccarello and snowboard slopestyler Silje Norendal. Together they will aim to reach not only the next generation of elite athletes, but also young people around the world to encourage them to get active, enjoy the benefits of sport and make the most of the learning experiences throughout the Youth Olympic Games.
"I am very honoured to be back to support the Youth Olympic Games and also to be here in Lillehammer to get a sneak peek of the incredible venues. Lillehammer is a beautiful city and I think the athletes will fall in love with this place! After experiencing Innsbruck 2012, I saw first-hand the smiles of the young athletes and the reaction from fans, and I am so happy to be a part of it once again."
The IOC chooses Ambassadors for each edition of the Youth Olympic Games. Sporting legends such as Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Yao Ming and Yelena Isinbaeva, to name but a few, have supported this campaign that is shared with the IOC’s 50 million fans on social media.
The second edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games will take place in Lillehammer from 12 to 21 February 2016. The programme features all seven sports on the Olympic programme plus some new additions, including team ski-snowboard cross and monobob. Off the field of play, athletes will be encouraged to take part in a unique programme of activities and workshops, including sessions on healthy eating, injury prevention, the dangers of doping and illegal betting, careers in sport and media training. All existing venues will be used from the legacy of the Olympic Winter Games Lillehammer 1994.
For more information, contact:
IOC Media Relations Team
Tel: +41 21 621 6000
email: pressoffice@olympic.org
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