16 January 2024 – A new generation of winter sports stars is about to be unearthed as the IV Winter Youth Olympic Games gets underway in the Gangwon province of South Korea, with the opening ceremony on Friday January 19.

This is the third consecutive major Olympic event in Asia but the first time it has hosted the Winter Youth Olympic Games. Many of the venues and facilities being used played host to the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.

Outdoor mountain events and sliding sports will be held at the Alpensia Sports Park in PyeongChang, while the indoor ice events will take place in the nearby city of Gangneung.

On arrival, IOC President Thomas Bach declared the Games ready for action, saying from Gangwon:
“Everything is set, even the weather is playing the game – we see lots of snow, blue skies, and the athletes are arriving. From what we have heard they’re all happy so the stage is set for a successful Winter Youth Olympic Games.”

A record number of 1,900 competitors will compete in 15 disciplines across seven sports at Gangwon 2024, with 81 sets of medals to be awarded. 79 National Olympic Committees are competing.

The disciplines are biathlon, bobsleigh (including skeleton), curling, ice hockey, luge, skating (including figure skating, short track, and speed skating), and skiing (including alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing, Nordic combined, ski jumping, and snowboard). A detailed breakdown of the events at Gangwon 2024 can be found here.

For the first time ever at a Winter YOG, there will be no mixed National Olympic Committee (NOC) events. The International Olympic Committee made this decision in order to provide a greater focus on young elite athlete development pathways.

Gangwon 2024 will be the fourth iteration of the Winter YOG. The previous editions took place in Innsbruck (2012), Lillehammer (2016), and Lausanne (2020). As with the previous Games, there will be a 50/50 split between male and female competitors.

The aim of Gangwon 2024 is to continue to drive positive change and social unity in the region, impacting society in the areas of sport, culture and education.

Gangwon 2024 is using a strong legacy from the 2018 PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. From improved winter sports facilities and a greener transport infrastructure to increased participation numbers in winter sports in South Korea and beyond.

Facilities are still in multi-purpose use for the general public and international sports events have taken place in the venues. Members of the public continue to reside in Games-built accommodation in both the PyeongChang and Gangneung Olympic Villages, and participation in winter sports grew in the 2014-18 Olympic cycle, as per this Legacy Report.

The PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee ensured that the Games would create a positive environmental impact through investing in infrastructure that is reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Including a high speed train link from Seoul, more electric vehicle recharging stations, and a wind farm producing renewable energy for the region.

The Gangwon 2024 slogan is “Grow together, shine forever” – launched at the 500 days-to-go countdown celebration.

The Winter Youth Olympic Games will be filmed for live television and digital streaming on Olympic Channel via https://olympics.com/ and the official Olympics app, with full session replays and highlights also available. Gangwon 2024 takes place from January 19 to February 1.