Lausanne, June 5, 2014: With just over 18 months to go to the second Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced today that Olympic champion Kjetil Jansrud will be an Ambassador for the Games taking place in February 2016.
The Norwegian Alpine skier, who won the gold medal in Super-G at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, will share his advice and experiences of top-level competition with the next generation of young athletes in his home nation and abroad, while inspiring young people around the world to get active and embrace the Olympic values.
Kjetil got straight into action by hosting a training session for several young athletes aiming to compete in Lillehammer 2016 at the world famous Holmenkollen ski jumping venue, which has been at the heart of Norwegian ski history for over 100 years and was used for the 1952 Olympic Winter Games in Oslo.
He commented, “I started skiing when I was three years old not far from Lillehammer, so it is a real honour for me to be an Ambassador for the Youth Olympic Games almost in my own backyard! This event will really inspire the young athletes in Norway and around the world, and I hope that I can help just a little bit to show how amazing sport is!”
IOC President Thomas Bach said, “We want to get kids active and enjoying the benefits of sport, and the support we have from Kjetil is key to this mission. He is a superb role model, and his passion and dedication to sport will have a big impact on the young people and help ensure that the Youth Olympic Games have a long-lasting benefit in Norway and beyond. I look forward to working with him in Lillehammer!”
The IOC chooses Ambassadors for each edition of the Youth Olympic Games to help spread the word of the event to inspire young people to get active and enjoy sport. Sporting legends such as Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and Lindsey Vonn, to name a few, have supported this campaign, which is shared with the 38 million fans the IOC has on its various social media channels.
The second edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games will take place in Lillehammer from 12 to 21 February 2016. The programme will feature the seven sports on the Olympic programme plus some new events such as team ski-snowboard cross and monobob. Off the field of play, athletes will be encouraged to take part in a unique programme of activities and workshops, including sessions on healthy eating, injury prevention, the dangers of doping and illegal betting, careers in sport and media training. All existing venues will be used from the legacy of the Lillehammer ’94 Games.
The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit independent international organisation made up of volunteers, which is committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, helping athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world. —- IOC
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