Australian Team Announced For 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games In Gangwon, Korea

Australia’s largest ever Winter Youth Olympic Games (WYOG) Team will compete in Gangwon, South Korea with the final 24 athletes selected today by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC).  

The 47-strong Australian team from across the country will compete across eight disciplines from January 19th to  February 1st 2024.

The Gangwon 2024 Games will see 1900 athletes from over 70 nations compete across seven sports, 15 disciplines and 81 events.

Twenty-four athletes from Freestyle Skiing, Snowboard, Cross Country, and Alpine Skiing will join the 23 athletes from Biathlon, Ice Hockey, Figure Skating and Short Track Speed Skating announced in November.

Daisy Thomas, Joey Elliss and Lucinda Laird will take on the Ski Slopestyle and Big Air events, while Ally Hickman, Halle McRae and Milo Botterill will compete in the Snowboard Slopestyle and Big Air.

“I’m really proud to be representing Australia and I’m super grateful for the opportunity to be doing so,” said Elliss. “The whole experience, meeting new people and competing against some of the best junior competitors, also just being in South Korea will be pretty cool.”

Abbey Wilson, Lara Walsh, Cam Turner and William Martin have been selected in the Snowboard Cross, joining Cassandra Nicholls, Dakota Turner and Duncan Cowan in the Ski Cross.

Alpine skiers Max Kelly and Arkie Lennon have been selected to contest the Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super G and Alpine Combined.

Satara Moon, Rosie Franzke, Samuel Johnson and Clancy Merrick Harvey have been selected to represent Australia in Cross Country Skiing, while Sascha Elvy, Emelie Haskell and Tai Vaughn have been selected for Snowboard Halfpipe.

Freestyle Mogul Skiing will make its WYOG debut in Gangwon, with Lottie Lodge and Edward Hill selected to compete across the individual and team dual moguls events.

“Making the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games Team means a lot to me,” said Hill. “I’m excited that all the hard work and training I’ve done is paying off. I’m grateful that I get this opportunity to ski and represent Australia.

“It’s very cool to be able to be an athlete at a Youth Olympic Games, so I’m very excited for everything about the Games. I look forward to meeting and competing against some of the best youth mogul skiers from around the world. It’ll be my first time in South Korea so that’ll be fun.”

Australian Chef De Mission and Vancouver 2010 Olympian Ramone Cooper welcomed the team’s selection.

“Congratulations to the 24 Snowboard, Freestyle Skiing, Cross Country and Alpine Skiing athletes who have been selected to compete in Gangwon,” Mr Cooper said.

“To represent your country in your chosen sport and have the opportunity to don the green and gold is a proud achievement.

“The Youth Olympic Games present a unique opportunity for these young athletes, offering more than just a chance to compete on the global stage. It’s a platform for them to connect with other cultures, learn the Olympic values and develop important skills they can take with them as they continue to progress in their sporting careers.”

“I am thrilled to welcome the 47 selected athletes to the 2024 Australian Winter Youth Olympic Team, I have no doubt they will each represent their country, sport, families and supporters with pride in just under one month’s time.”

Sixteen-year-old slopestyle and big air skier Daisy Thomas, who recently placed seventh at her senior World Cup debut, said it was a dream come true to be selected for the Winter Youth Olympic Games Team.

“This is something I have been working towards over the last two years, so it is so rewarding to finally achieve this goal and I am so proud to represent Australia,” said Thomas.

“I am most looking forward to the entire Youth Olympic experience, meeting new people from all over the world and reconnecting with some old friends in Gangwon. I am equally excited to compete and ski to my best ability alongside my teammates.

“I have never been to South Korea, so the chance to experience a new culture will also be really exciting, I can’t wait!”

Snow Australia General Manager Ben Wordsworth congratulated the selected athletes. “Everyone who has been selected thoroughly deserves their place on the team and we can’t wait to see how they will perform in Korea,” Mr Wordsworth said.

“We’ve seen in a short amount of time how the Winter Youth Olympic Games can be a stepping stone to a successful senior career. There’s no better example of that than Josie Baff who converted a gold medal in Lausanne 2020 as a 16-year-old into a World Championship podium earlier this year.”

“Whenever Australian athletes come together in multi-discipline and multi-sport events, the camaraderie drives the team to another level.

“When athletes are enjoying themselves and being inspired by those around them it can lead to some pretty special performances and with such a great generation of young athletes coming through, I’m excited to see what that brings in January.”