Gangneung, Korea, January 18, 2024: IOC President Thomas Bach visited the Athletes Village in Gangneung on Wednesday, January 17 as he returned to the region that hosted the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games.
President Bach said the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Gangwon 2024 are set to build a new legacy for the next generation of athletes.
“I am really very, very impressed by the quality of the accommodation and what I am hearing from the athletes; they are all very happy,” he told reporters including Olympics.com.
With the IOC’s 4th Winter YOG set to open on Friday, January 19 and run until February 1, the IOC President said he was confident of a successful event – the first Winter YOG to be held in Asia.
“For the athletes, I think it's a wonderful experience to compete in the venues their idols have been competing in just six years ago and whom they are following. These young athletes are carrying this legacy on towards the next generation of athletes, so it's a true success story," he concluded.
Accompanied by the Chair of the Coordination Commission and 2014 Olympic speed skating champion Zhang Hong (People’s Republic of China), Bach met the first group of young athletes in the gym of the Haeram Sport Complex, part of the Gangneung Wonju National University.
President Bach continued his tour inside the Village, where he stopped to take pictures with mascot Moongcho and the volunteers, before visiting the Main Resident Centre and the Dining Hall.
“What, for athletes, is the most important is good sleep and good food - and they all confirmed that their rooms are excellent, that the beds are excellent and that they're enjoying the food very much so that there is enough variety,” Bach revealed.
Gangwon 2024 is the fourth edition of the Winter YOG, an event that – according to Bach – has represented in the past “a great stepping stone to success in the Olympic Games” and serves as evidence of “the ever-growing popularity of winter sports in Asia.”
The IOC President wrapped up his remarks by sharing his expectations for the upcoming Games, expressing his wish for the athletes to enjoy “this first-ever experience of a multi-sport Olympic event and to make friends by living the Olympic values.”
Asked if he wanted to convey a message with the young athletes, he said: “Enjoy this experience of Winter Youth Olympic Games, that for young athletes is a unique experience.”