SEOUL – Tickets for the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Gangwon, South Korea will be free of charge for all events except the opening ceremony in Gangneung, according to the International Olympic Committee.
The tickets for Gangwon 2024, which runs from Jan. 19 to Feb. 1, 2024, have been on general sale on the official online platform since last Saturday.
The opening ceremony is set to take place on Jan. 19 at Gangneung Oval and PyeongChang Dome simultaneously.
The tickets for the opening ceremony in Gangneung are priced from 30,000 to 100,000 won (USD22 to 74), while access to the PyeongChang Dome will be free of charge, though attendees still need to request tickets via the online platform or at the box office on the day of the event.
The Games will use several facilities that hosted events at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games and will take place in four locations: Gangneung, PyeongChang, Jeongseon and Hoengseong, with tickets to the sporting events in those locations available free of charge.
Approximately 1,900 athletes from around 80 National Olympic Committees are expected to take part at Gangwon 2024.
Athlete role models
Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Athletes Department said 17 Olympic champions, Olympic medalists and Olympians have been named as Athlete Role Models (ARMs) for the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games.
The 17 ARMs are Jackie Narracott (Australia, skeleton), Won Yun-jong (South Korea, bobsleigh), Jennifer Dodds (Britain, curling), Kim Chang-min (South Korea, curling), Eliza Tiruma (Latvia, luge), Sascha Benecken (Germany, luge), Vanessa Hinz (Germany, biathlon), Dominik Windisch (Italy, biathlon), Min Yura (South Korea, figure skating), Michal Brezina (Czech Republic, figure skating), Nao Kodaira (Japan, speed skating), Viktor Polasek (Czech Republic, ski jumping), Carina Vogt (Germany, ski jumping), Han Da Som (South Korea, cross-country skiing), Magnus Boe (Norway, cross-country skiing), Sami Kennedy-Sim (Australia, freestyle skiing) and Eric Frenzel (Germany, Nordic combined).
"Young athletes look up to Olympians and seek to follow in their footsteps in sport and beyond the field of play. It is exactly for this reason that these outstanding Athlete Role Models will play a pivotal role at the Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024," said Kaveh Mehrabi, director of the IOC Athletes' Department.
"These role models will contribute immensely to achieving the mission of Gangwon 2024, as they embody the values of Olympism and serve as beacons of excellence, respect and friendship, guiding the young athletes in achieving their own dreams."
The ARM Program has been an integral part of the Youth Olympic Games since the first edition in Singapore in 2010, providing young athletes with a chance to learn from experienced Olympians. (Xinhua)
