The New Zealand Team for the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games has been finalised with 22 New Zealand athletes set to compete across five sports at the Games.
The team will contest the Games from January 19th to February 1st, and will be made up of three alpine ski racers, one biathlete, four curlers, one figure skater, seven freestyle/freeski athletes, one luge athlete, and five snowboard athletes.
The full team can be viewed here.
Alpine Ski Racer Ruby Fullerton (Nelson) and Wānaka freeskier Hamish Barlow are the final athletes to be added to the team.
Upon learning of his selection Barlow said; "Reading the email that I was going to Youth Olympics for the first time it felt unreal. I am super excited for this opportunity to represent New Zealand and showcase my skiing in South Korea."
The 17-year-old will be competing in the disciplines of Freeski Slopestyle and Freeski Big Air. He replaces Freeskier Fergus McArthur who has withdrawn from the event due to injury.
Fullerton has been selected to represent New Zealand in Giant Slalom, with additional starting options in Slalom, Super G and Alpine Combined.
Fullerton explained, "It feels amazing as it has always been my dream to wear the fern. I feel privileged to be given this opportunity when I know there are other great athletes out there. The main thing I am looking forward to is competing for New Zealand in the sport I love. I am also excited to visit and spend some time in South Korea."
The 17-year-old is coming into Gangwon off a very successful start to her Northern Hemisphere season. In December, she achieved her best ever FIS points result in Italy, scoring 74.54 points in Giant Slalom.
New Zealand Team Chef de Mission, Marty Toomey congratulated Fullerton and Barlow on their selections and says the team is tracking well ahead of competition.
“We’re really excited about what is going to be a great celebration of culture and sport,” said Toomey.
“This is a really strong team of athletes, they’re New Zealand’s snow and ice sports stars of the future and we’re looking forward to getting over there and showing what we’re capable of.”
Toomey says the event will give the young athletes the opportunity to grow their skills and test themselves against some of the best young sportspeople from around the world.
"The Games are a huge development opportunity, not just in the sporting sense but they’re also about developing the athletes as people, so we'll be taking advantage of learning opportunities which will benefit our team as their careers progress.”
The Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games will be held in the Gangwon Province (across 4 cities - Gangneung, Pyeongchang, Jeongseon, and Hoengseong) of South Korea.
The Games will run January 19 - February 1 and will welcome almost 2000 young athletes (aged between 14 and 18 years old) from around the world to compete in 7 sports, 15 disciplines and 81 events.
New Zealand won one gold and three bronze medals at the last edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games.
A competition schedule will be available on the Olympic.org.nz website closer to Games time. Coverage will be available on Sky Sport.
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