부산광역시해운대구체육회

One year since the YOG Gangwon 2024: Celebrating Youth, Sport and Culture
19 January will mark one year since the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Gangwon 2024, the beginning of an event that highlighted outstanding athletic performances, the remarkable dedication of volunteers, and the engagement of young people in sport. K-pop performances played a prominent role in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of Gangwon 2024, as well as the Let’s Play Winter Festival, showcasing Korean culture both domestically and internationally.

4 min read
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Published on 18 January 2025
Gangwon 2024
IOC News
YOG
Legacy

The Winter YOG Gangwon 2024 brought together over 1,800 talented young athletes representing 78 National Olympic Committees (NOCs). Featuring 7 sports and 15 disciplines, the event attracted some 270,000 spectators across nine venues. Taking advantage of the winter sports legacy created by PyeongChang 2018, the organisers made use of 7 out of 12 venues from the Olympic Winter Games. The YOG were widely enjoyed by local fans, as reflected in a survey where 86% rated their experience an 8 or higher out of 10.

Gangwon 2024 not only excelled on-site, but also set new standards for digital engagement. It surpassed previous YOG records on the Olympics' digital platforms, attracting over 810,000 online users and amassing 323 million engagements across the official @Olympics channels.

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To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the YOG Gangwon 2024 and celebrate their successful hosting, Gangwon Province is organising a special “Homecoming Day” event for its volunteer community. The celebration features a variety of activities, including sports and cultural events, discussions with Olympic medallists and live concerts. Additionally, the Gangwon 2024 virtual volunteers' community page has been launched, providing a dedicated platform for volunteers to stay connected with each other and remain engaged with the Olympic community.

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© IOC /Greg Martin
Gangwon 2024 was also marked by the dedication of its volunteer community. A total of 1,984 volunteers contributed to the Games across various zones, including event and ceremony protocol, athlete support, sports management, media coordination and regional guidance. These volunteers gained invaluable experience in organising a major sporting event, while enjoying the opportunity to witness spectacular performances firsthand. The IOC President, Thomas Bach, expressed his gratitude to the "Gangwon Shine Crew" for their remarkable efforts in a video message to Gangwon 2024 volunteers.

Gangwon 2024 volunteers
Gangwon 2024 volunteers
Volunteers at the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Winter Games
Volunteers at the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Winter Games
Volunteers at the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Winter Games
Volunteers at the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Winter Games
Volunteers at the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Winter Games
Volunteers at the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Winter Games
Volunteers at the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Winter Games
Volunteers at the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Winter Games
Volunteers at the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Winter Games
Gangwon 2024, medal ceremony
Gangwon 2024, volunteers
Gangwon 2024, medal ceremony

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Building on the legacy of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games, the PyeongChang Legacy Foundation (PLF) drove a variety of initiatives to inspire athletes and young people from around the world to engage in winter sports. These efforts led to impressive results, with 39 participants of PLF projects qualifying for the Winter YOG, two of whom, from developing winter nations, went on to win medals at Gangwon 2024. Agnes Campeol from Thailand won a silver medal in women’s monobob, while Jonathan Lourimi of Tunisia took home a silver in men’s monobob.

Among these initiatives, the "New Horizons Academy," organised by the PyeongChang Memorial Foundation and PyeongChang County, aims to promote winter sports globally. The programme focuses on supporting athletes from countries with limited winter sports infrastructure, offering them the opportunity to train at specialised camps. Of the young athletes who attended these camps, 25 – representing five sports and nine NOCs, including Colombia, Thailand and Tunisia – went on to compete at Gangwon 2024.

The Dream Programme, a legacy initiative from PyeongChang 2018, plays an important role in bolstering sports participation and ensuring accessibility for all. Held annually for 10 days between January and February, the programme provides immersive training opportunities for youngsters aged 13 to 23 from developing countries. Since 2004, the initiative has hosted 2,500 participants from 97 nations, with 150 of them going on to become international athletes. Notably, 14 athletes who competed in Gangwon 2024 were alumni of this programme.

Athletes of the Austria Youth Olympic team wave flags as they enter the stadium ahead of the Opening Ceremony inside the Gangneung Oval. The Winter Youth Olympic Games, Gangwon, South Korea, Friday 19 January 2024. Photo: OIS/Chloe Knott. Handout image supplied by OIS/IOC
Torchbearer Jeong-min Lee lights the Youth Olympic cauldron during the Opening Ceremony inside the Gangneung Oval. The Winter Youth Olympic Games, Gangwon, Republic of Korea, Friday 19 January 2024. Photo: OIS/Chloe Knott. Handout image supplied by OIS/IOC
Gangwon 2024 Closing Ceremony
Gangwon 2024 Closing Ceremony
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Olympic Village, Education Program
Ice Goblins perform during the Opening Ceremony at the Gangneung Oval. The Winter Youth Olympic Games, Gangwon, Republic of Korea, Friday 19 January 2024. Photo: OIS/Chloe Knott. Handout image supplied by OIS/IOC
Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee and Yoon Suk Yeol, President of the Republic of Korea are introduced during the Opening Ceremony at the Gangneung Oval. The Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024, South Korea, Friday 19 January 2024. Photo: OIS/Thomas Lovelock. Handout image supplied by OIS/IOC
Ash Island performs during the Opening Ceremony at the Gangneung Oval. The Winter Youth Olympic Games, Gangwon, Republic of Korea, Friday 19 January 2024. Photo: OIS/Joe Toth. Handout image supplied by OIS/IOC
Athletes from the Republic of Korea Youth Olympic team wave flags as they enter the Gangneung Oval ahead of the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Youth Olympic Games  Gangwon 2024, Republic of Korea, Friday 19 January 2024. Photo: OIS/Joe Toth. Handout image supplied by OIS/IOC
General view inside the Gangneung Oval during the parade of flags of the participating NOCs as part of the Opening Ceremony. The Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024, Republic of Korea, Friday 19 January 2024. Photo: OIS/Thomas Lovelock. Handout image supplied by OIS/IOC
Cultural Performance 2: Dream Together, as the Ice Goblins, cheerful friends of the Ice Planet, perform on stage during the Opening Ceremony inside the Gangneung Oval. The Winter Youth Olympic Games, Gangwon, Republic of Korea, Friday 19 January 2024. Photo: OIS/Thomas Lovelock. Handout image supplied by OIS/IOC

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Since the pre-YOG period, Gangwon 2024 has prioritised introducing local youth to winter sports and providing opportunities for accessible sports practice. Since 2020, the Soohorang and Bandabi Sports Camps have engaged 30,000 students, including 12,263 in the season leading up to the Games. These camps provided equal opportunities for disabled and non-disabled participants, featuring activities such as Olympic values education, cultural immersion, and Para ice hockey.

The PyeongChang 2018 Legacy Foundation, which created tangible benefits through diverse cultural and educational initiatives ahead of the YOG, has evolved into the PyeongChang 2018 and Gangwon 2024 Legacy Foundation. This transition aims to ensure the delivery of long-term benefits of the YOG. Eight legacy programmes from Gangwon 2024 will continue, promoting sport among future generations and creating lasting benefits for the host region.

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