INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE-PRESS RELEASE: As the Austrian city of Innsbruck celebrates 100 days to go until the first ever Winter Youth Olympic Games in January 2012, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is pleased to announce that figure skater and Olympic champion Yuna Kim from the Republic of Korea is the latest Winter Youth Olympic Games Ambassador.Twenty-one-year-old Kim’s appointment follows the announcement of her fellow Winter Youth Olympic Games Ambassadors Lindsey Vonn and Benjamin Raich, who will play a key part in supporting the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck.
The role of the Ambassadors for the Innsbruck 2012 Youth Olympic Games is to inspire and mentor the athletes competing at the Games while encouraging young people from all over the world to become more active in sport.
Kim said: “I am delighted and honored to be a Winter Youth Olympic Games Ambassador. The Youth Olympic Games are an exceptional event and I am excited to be part of the first ever winter edition.
Having competed as an athlete since a very young age, I can relate to the participants of Innsbruck 2012 and I hope I can share my knowledge, passion and experience to motivate them to reach their potential.”
IOC President Jacques Rogge said: “To have such a dedicated, gifted and internationally renowned athlete to mentor the athletes going to Innsbruck 2012 is fantastic news. Yuna is an outstanding Olympic champion, setting a new world record in winning her gold medal in Vancouver last year. She was excellent in her role as PyeongChang 2018 Athlete Ambassador, and I am sure that as a Youth Olympic Games Ambassador she will inspire young people to compete in winter sports.”
To commemorate 100 days to go until the Games, Innsbruck 2012 has launched a line of merchandise, including many items featuring the popular mascot, Yoggl. For more information, please see: www.innsbruck2012.com.
Scheduled to take place from 13 to 22 January 2012, the Innsbruck Winter Youth Olympic Games will attract over 1,000 top athletes between the ages of 15 and 18 from 65 countries. The athletes will compete in the same seven sports as those on the programme of the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi in 2014, but a number of the 63 events will feature for the first time at an Olympic event. These include ski half pipe, snowboard slope style and a woman’s ski jumping.
In addition to mixed gender events, there will also be mixed National Olympic Committee competitions.
The athletes will also participate in a Culture and Education Programme (CEP) featuring fun and engaging activities designed to provide guidance on a wide range of topics, including the Olympic values, the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle, and the prevention of sports injuries, among others.
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