Medals and uniforms unveiled for 2024 Gangwon Youth Olympics

The medals and uniforms for the 2024 Gangwon Youth Olympics were unveiled Thursday during an event marking 200 days before the start of the global sporting competition at Seoul Olympic Parktel in Songpa District, southern Seoul.

From left: 2024 Gangwon Youth Olympics ambassadors Park Jae-min, Kwak Yoon-gy, Soh Jae-hwan, co-heads of the organizing committee Jin Jong-oh and Lee Sang-hwa, and ambassadors Cho Yun-won and Park Sun-young pose in the uniform for Olympic volunteers and staff during an event at Seoul Olympic Parktel in Songpa District, southern Seoul on Thursday. [NEWS1]

The medals and uniforms for the 2024 Gangwon Youth Olympics were unveiled Thursday during an event marking 200 days before the start of the global sporting competition at Seoul Olympic Parktel in Songpa District, southern Seoul.

Olympic ambassadors, including former figure skater Kim Yuna and short track speed skater Kwak Yoon-gy, took part in the event, alongside officials including Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo-gyoon, Gangwon Governor Kim Jin-tae and co-heads of the organizing commitee Jin Jong-oh and Lee Sang-hwa.

The event was actually held a little later than then 200-day mark, with the Gangwon Games set to begin in exactly 197 days.

With the Gangwon Youth Olympics, Korea will become the first-ever Asian country to host the winter Youth Games.

“Having come here, I expect the Olympics to be a huge success,” Minister Park said during the event. “The attendees here and so many athletes with great legacies are helping to support the event.”

Alongside Kim and Kwan, and short track speed skater Choi Min-jeong are also ambassadors for the Games. All four athletes have medaled at the Olympics during their careers and have reached the very peak of their respective sports.

“There is no way the winter Olympics will fail when people like them are supporting it,” Park said. “We will inherit the great legacy from the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and then elevate and upgrade it.

“We are going to start our journey for success for the 2024 Winter Olympics with everyone here.”

The upcoming Youth Olympics is the first time that Korea is hosting the Olympics since the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, which was also held in Gangwon.

The Youth Olympics will take place across multiple counties in Gangwon like Pyeongchang, Gangneung, Jeongseon and Hoengseong, utilizing facilities used during the 2018 Games.

“We will hold this event as we consider sustainability,” Governor Kim Jin-tae said. “We are not building any new facilities for any of the nine venues.

“We are trying to hold this event with just 10 percent carbon emissions for the sake of carbon neutrality.”

Gangwon Governor Kim Jin-tae, third from left, 2024 Gangwon Youth Olympics Organizing Committee co-heads Jin Jong-oh, fifth from left, and Lee Sang-hwa, sixth from left, and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo-gyoon, second from right, pose with officials in the uniform for volunteers and staff of the 2024 Gangwon Youth Olympics during an event at Seoul Olympic Parktel in Songpa District, southern Seoul on Thursday. [YONHAP]

The Youth Olympic Games will take place at seven venues used for the 2018 Games, with other existing facilities to be used for the two additional venues.

The medals for the Youth Olympics are also unique to Gangwon, as club members from Gangwon Arts High School and Yanggu Middle School — both located in Gangwon — helped create the art that appears on the back of the medals.

The back side includes the image of snow and nature, while the front represents rain, symbolizing the athletes’ growth.

Gangwon Youth Olympics ambassador Kim Yuna introduces the Youth Olympics medals during an event at Seoul Olympic Parktel in Songpa District, southern Seoul on Thursday. [GANGWON YOUTH OLYMPICS ORGANIZING COMMITTEE]

The uniforms for volunteers and personnel at the Olympics, introduced by the ambassadors, is red and white, with the red symbolizing passion and energy and the white representing the purity and infinite possibility of youth.

“Above all, as someone who participated in the PyeongChang Olympics, I know how overwhelming it is to take part in the Olympics in your home country and I am happy that other athletes get to feel that,” Kwak said as he introduced the uniforms. “I want to thank all those who are contributing to hosting the Youth Olympics.”

Kwak earned two silver medals at the 2010 and 2022 Olympics, and wished the best to the up-and-coming stars that will compete in Gangwon.

“It is important to medal, but I want you to know that there is an important value beyond the medals,” Kwak said.

The Youth Olympics will start on Jan. 19 next year and run through Feb. 1.

A total of 1,900 athletes from 70 countries are expected to compete in the Games, with 81 medals on the line across 15 different events.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]