“The Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics is a great opportunity to meet the ‘second Chloe Kim.’”

Interview with IOC President Thomas Bach “The game took place at the venue where the PyeongChang Olympics were held. Expectations for the birth of future Olympic stars
Several hopeful cities for the 2036 Summer Olympics. Seoul can become a strong competitive city.”

International Olympic Committee (IOC) Chairman Thomas Bach is being interviewed by the Dong-A Ilbo at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul on the 16th, three days before the opening of the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics. Chairman Bach said, “The preparation for the competition is close to perfect. “I’m looking forward to seeing what special things will happen at this Youth Olympics,” he said.

“It’s a great opportunity to meet the next Chloe Kim and the next Eileen Koo.”

International Olympic Committee (IOC) Chairman Thomas Bach (71), who visited Korea for the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics, which opens on the 19th, said this, confident that the Games will be held successfully. This competition, which will be held in the Pyeongchang, Gangneung, Jeongseon, and Hoengseong areas where the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics were held six years ago, will be the largest ever with 1,803 athletes from 79 countries participating and showing off their skills for 81 gold medals in 15 events. 파워볼사이트

Chairman Bach, who met at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul on the 16th, said, “Something special always happens at the Olympics. At the Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics, you can see many talented young athletes who will become future Olympic stars. “They will be on stage at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, two years from now,” he said. A total of 341 athletes from previous Winter Youth Olympic Games participated in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Representative examples include snowboarding’s Chloe Kim (24, USA) and freestyle skiing’s Eileen Koo (21, dual citizenship of the US and China). Chloe Kim, who won two gold medals at the 2016 Lillehammer Youth Olympic Games, won the 2018 Pyeongchang and 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in succession. Eileen Koo, who won two gold medals at the 2020 Lausanne Youth Olympic Games, also won two gold medals at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Chairman Bach said, “Compared to male athletes, young female athletes often ended their careers without being able to step on the Olympic stage.” He added, “The IOC wanted to motivate these athletes so that they could pursue their Olympic dreams and continue their careers.” “He said. Almost equal proportions of male and female athletes participate in this competition.

The Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics will use the same facilities as the Pyeongchang Olympics. Chairman Bach said, “It is fortunate that young athletes can enjoy the legacy of Pyeongchang. Players will play where their heroes played six years ago. “The legacy of this competition will be passed on to the future,” he said.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Pyeongchang operating the ‘Dream Program’ for athletes from countries where it is difficult to see snow and ice. Chairman Bach said, “The Pyeongchang Memorial Foundation is setting an exemplary precedent. Athletes from many countries received help. “The value of the Olympics is also widely known through forums and seminars,” he praised. Youth from six countries, including Argentina, Mongolia, Iran, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Nepal, who participated in the ‘Dream Program’ and learned winter sports, will participate in this competition.

Chairman Bach said that the IOC is constantly changing to keep pace with the growing future generations. Breaking and surfing, which are popular among the younger generation, have been adopted as official sports at the Paris Olympics to be held in July this year. He said, “The IOC is trying to strike a balance between traditional sports and new-age sports. “It has been this way ever since the modern Olympics began in 1896,” he said. “The IOC is also looking closely at e-sports, which are very popular among young people.” When asked about the possibility of e-sports being adopted as an official Olympic sport, he said, “I can say ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ The entry of e-sports into the Olympics can be discussed gradually, but it is already holding its own major competition. “Currently, we are awaiting the research results of the relevant committee,” he said.

Regarding Seoul’s intention to host the 2036 Summer Olympics, Chairman Bach said, “I think it will be an excellent option for the IOC. Seoul can not only leverage the legacy of the 1988 Olympics, but also continue the legacy of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and this year’s Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics. Through hosting the three Olympic Games, many volunteers and administrators were produced. “There are many cities that want to host the 2036 Olympics, but Seoul could also be a strong competitor,” he said.

Chairman Bach, who won a gold medal as a member of the West German fencing team at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, worked as a lawyer after his retirement, then turned into a sports administrator and rose to the position of world sports chief. He said, “Through sports, I gained confidence and learned to respect others. “I also learned that winning and losing are not everything in life,” he said. “There were many challenges in my life, and I was not always successful. “We sometimes lost, but every crisis was also a good opportunity,” he said. 카지노사이트존