GANGNEUNG, South Korea, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The stage is all set for the fourth winter youth Olympic Games slated to take place in South Korea's eastern Gangwon province, the Gangwon 2024 Organizing Committee (YOGOC) said in its report delivered to the Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday.
The athletes have arrived, the Youth Olympic Village is operating at full capacity, and the venues are ready for the competitions, the report said.
"Six years after the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, the venues from those Games are not just a great legacy but also the perfect backdrop for all participating athletes," said Coordination Commission Chair and IOC Member Zhang Hong.
Of the nine venues being used for Gangwon 2024, seven were also used during the Olympic Winter Games 2018.
"It is a great honour that we celebrate today the progress made here in Gangwon - a testament to the Youth Olympic Games' commitment to engaging youth worldwide. Gangwon 2024 is a great platform for young people to share their passion and dreams, create opportunities, and learn from each other," said Kim Chul-min, Secretary General of the Gangwon 2024 YOGOC.
Following the launch of the ticketing platform in November 2023, it was announced that 320,000 tickets have now been reserved for events at Gangwon 2024, with organisers continuing their efforts to promote the YOG to people in the four host towns -- Gangneung, Pyeongchang, Jeongseon and Hoengseong.
The IOC EB was updated on the Athlete Education Programme, which will be based at Athlete365 House in the Youth Olympic Village throughout the YOG. It features nine programmes centred around four main themes: integrity, well-being, digital media and career support.
In addition, in order to provide a rich sporting experience, along with culture and education for spectators, there are festival sites in each of the four host towns, featuring sports activities, tubing, concerts and inspirational talks from Olympians.
The fourth winter youth Olympic Games are set to kick off with an opening ceremony on Friday in South Korea's Gangwon province.
About 1,900 athletes aged 14 to 18 from some 80 countries and regions will compete in four cities of the province throughout Feb. 1 under the slogan of: “Grow together. Shine forever.” ■
