Rogge: "You Cannot Dream of a Better" Winter YOG Ambassador Team

(ATR) Ski halfpipe world champion Kevin Rolland joins the ranks of 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games ambassadors.

Ski halfpipe is making its Olympic debut in Innsbruck next year.

"I am really proud to be an ambassador," Rolland said Wednesday at a press conference in Lausanne.

"We feel like we are closer to this generation as young athletes. I am going to try my best to give some keys to these athletes."

His role as a mentor for the young Olympians, Rolland said, will be to impart knowledge gained from top-tier sporting events.

"Maybe we can help the young athletes to prepare for a big event."

Also speaking at the announcement, IOC president Jacques Rogge said: "You cannot dream of a better team of ambassadors."

Winter Olympic legends Yu Na Kim of South Korea, Benjamin Raich of Austria and Lindsey Vonn of the United States are the other WYOG Ambassadors.

Looking ahead to the Innsbruck YOG, now 10 weeks away, Rogge said he is "optimistic" the Games will be successful.

"I have every reason to believe this success will come in Innsbruck."

At the moment, one note of concern for both the IOC and Innsbruck 2012 is a lack of snow on the slopes.

Rogge said he is "praying" for snow in the alpine haven.

Some of the higher mountains have had snowfall, but the venues for the YOG are currently snow-free thanks to what would be wonderful weather in any other circumstances.

Innsbruck 2012 officials tell Around the Rings they are notyet worried about the weather. They claim the weather in Austria typically gets colder at the end of November, triggering snow.

And if the worst happens, they told ATR, Innsbruck has plenty of snow-making facilities.

Rogge and Rolland were joined Wednesday by fellow WYOG ambassador Kim.

Both young athletes say they wish they had a Youth Olympic Games to compete in at this stage of their careers. Kim is 21, Rolland 22.

"I really envy the young athletes who will participate in these Youth Olympic Games,"the reigning Olympic champion figure skater and 2009 world champion said.

"If I had a chance to participate in the YOG, maybe my Olympic dream could have been more easily."

Rolland echoed Kim’s comments.

"You are under pressure [at the YOG] and it is really good to be under pressure when you’re young because for sure you will be better after that," he said.

"It can save some time to be at the top."

Rogge said that YOG preps from the IOC were going well.

When asked about organizing a first Olympics of sorts, Rogge said there was "no particular challenge."

"You have issues that you have to solve every day," he said.

Helping the IOC was "a very good preparation by a very good organizing committee," he added about Innsbruck 2012.

"We know that we will have a great support of the entire population."

Written and reported in Lausanne by Ed Hula III.

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