Gangwon 2024: Key athletes to watch on Day 1
In biathlon, Lola Bugeaud of France stands out as one of the favorites in the women’s 10km individual competition.
The French biathlete claimed a silver medal in the 6km sprint and gold in the 4x6km mixed relay at the 2023 Winter European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF).
At the same event, Slovakia’s Michal Adamov was a silver medallist in the men’s competition, and he will be aiming for more success in the Republic of Korea.
Italy arrives with a strong team in luge, where men’s doubles pairs Manuel Weissensteiner/Philipp Brunner and Alexandra Oberstolz in women’s singles have shown great form ahead of YOG.
The Italian men’s duo and Oberstolz climbed to the top step of the podium in the Continental Cup in Bludenz.
The short track speed skating 1500m features for the first time at the Winter Youth Olympics. Angel Daleman of the Netherlands is a double silver medallist from the 2022 Junior World Championship, and she is one to look out for. For the men’s event, the man to beat might be Hungary’s Dominik Majorwho took home no less than three gold medals (1000m, 1500m, mixed team relay) at last year’s Winter European Youth Olympic Festival.
In ski jumping, Czechia’s Anežka Indráčková has already competed at the Winter Olympic Games. At Beijing 2022 she was the youngest athlete among all participants and finished 30th in the women’s normal hill event. Her experience at senior level could be key against Youth Olympic competitors. Poland has a strong duo in the men’s competition in the form of Kacper Tomasiak and Lukasz Lukaszczyk who both have top ten results in the FIS Cup this season.
Finally, there will be medals at stake in the men’s and women’s snowboard cross races. Felix Schwenkel of Germany is a medallist from the 2023 Winter EYOF. Karolina Hrusova from Czechia finished 13th at the 2023 Junior World Championship. Both will be hoping to finish on the podium at Gangwon 2024.