17 January 2025 – 19 January will mark one year since the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Gangwon 2024, the beginning of an event that highlighted outstanding athletic performances, the remarkable dedication of volunteers, and the engagement of young people in sport. K-pop performances played a prominent role in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of Gangwon 2024, as well as the Let’s Play Winter Festival, showcasing Korean culture both domestically and internationally.
The Winter YOG Gangwon 2024 brought together over 1,800 talented young athletes representing 78 National Olympic Committees (NOCs). Featuring 7 sports and 15 disciplines, the event attracted some 270,000 spectators across nine venues. Taking advantage of the winter sports legacy created by PyeongChang 2018, the organisers made use of 7 out of 12 venues from the Olympic Winter Games. The YOG were widely enjoyed by local fans, as reflected in a survey where 86% rated their experience an 8 or higher out of 10.
Gangwon 2024 not only excelled on-site, but also set new standards for digital engagement. It surpassed previous YOG records on the Olympics’ digital platforms, attracting over 810,000 online users and amassing 323 million engagements across the official @Olympics channels.
To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the YOG Gangwon 2024 and celebrate their successful hosting, Gangwon Province is organising a special “Homecoming Day” event for its volunteer community. The celebration features a variety of activities, including sports and cultural events, discussions with Olympic medallists and live concerts. Additionally, the Gangwon 2024 virtual volunteers’ community page has been launched, providing a dedicated platform for volunteers to stay connected with each other and remain engaged with the Olympic community.
Hosting the Winter YOG in Gangwon Province and reaching a global audience had a significant positive impact on tourism in the region. The momentum created by PyeongChang 2018 was utilised and even furthered by Gangwon 2024. From March to May 2024, the number of monthly visitors to the Republic of Korea surged to between 1.4 and 1.5 million, a substantial increase compared to fewer than 900,000 visitors during the same period in 2023.
Gangwon 2024 was also marked by the dedication of its volunteer community. A total of 1,984 volunteers contributed to the Games across various zones, including event and ceremony protocol, athlete support, sports management, media coordination and regional guidance. These volunteers gained invaluable experience in organising a major sporting event, while enjoying the opportunity to witness spectacular performances firsthand. The IOC President, Thomas Bach, expressed his gratitude to the “Gangwon Shine Crew” for their remarkable efforts in a video message to Gangwon 2024 volunteers.
Building on the legacy of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games, the PyeongChang Legacy Foundation (PLF) drove a variety of initiatives to inspire athletes and young people from around the world to engage in winter sports. These efforts led to impressive results, with 39 participants of PLF projects qualifying for the Winter YOG, two of whom, from developing winter nations, went on to win medals at Gangwon 2024. Agnes Campeol from Thailand won a silver medal in women’s monobob, while Jonathan Lourimi of Tunisia took home a silver in men’s monobob.
Among these initiatives, the “New Horizons Academy,” organised by the PyeongChang Memorial Foundation and PyeongChang County, aims to promote winter sports globally. The programme focuses on supporting athletes from countries with limited winter sports infrastructure, offering them the opportunity to train at specialised camps. Of the young athletes who attended these camps, 25 – representing five sports and nine NOCs, including Colombia, Thailand and Tunisia – went on to compete at Gangwon 2024.
The Dream Programme, a legacy initiative from PyeongChang 2018, plays an important role in bolstering sports participation and ensuring accessibility for all. Held annually for 10 days between January and February, the programme provides immersive training opportunities for youngsters aged 13 to 23 from developing countries. Since 2004, the initiative has hosted 2,500 participants from 97 nations, with 150 of them going on to become international athletes. Notably, 14 athletes who competed in Gangwon 2024 were alumni of this programme.
Since the pre-YOG period, Gangwon 2024 has prioritised introducing local youth to winter sports and providing opportunities for accessible sports practice. Since 2020, the Soohorang and Bandabi Sports Camps have engaged 30,000 students, including 12,263 in the season leading up to the Games. These camps provided equal opportunities for disabled and non-disabled participants, featuring activities such as Olympic values education, cultural immersion, and Para ice hockey.
The PyeongChang 2018 Legacy Foundation, which created tangible benefits through diverse cultural and educational initiatives ahead of the YOG, has evolved into the PyeongChang 2018 and Gangwon 2024 Legacy Foundation. This transition aims to ensure the delivery of long-term benefits of the YOG. Eight legacy programmes from Gangwon 2024 will continue, promoting sport among future generations and creating lasting benefits for the host region.
