Gangwon 2024 YOG: Emerging Snowboard Talents Take Center Stage

The Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games unfolded as a platform for burgeoning snowboarding talents to establish themselves and put their names on the map. The iconic venue of Welli Hilli Park, located in Hoengseong and inaugurated in December 1995, boasts a total of 20 slopes. Its rich history includes hosting Snowboard World Cup competitions in 2004 and 2008, as well as the 2009 FIS Snowboard World Championships.

Snowboard Cross: France's Dominance on the rise

Saturday, January 20th marked the kickoff of the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympics Games, and Team France got things rolling with an exceptional showing in snowboard cross action. Jonas Chollet seized the gold in men's SBX, setting the tone for France's remarkable run at the competition. Majali Iafrate Danielsson and Lea Casta added to France's glory, clinching silver and bronze, respectively, in women's cross on Day 1.

The excitement spilled into Sunday, where Team France continued their dominance in the mixed team event, securing both gold and silver. With a total of 5 medals across 3 races, France's snowboard cross team emerged as one of the standout nations at the Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon. After Jonas Chollet's individual triumph, Majali Iafrate Danielsson's silver, and Léa Casta's bronze, France completed a superb double in the Team Event, further solidifying their status as the best nation in Snowboard Cross at the Youth Olympic Games.

Honorable mention to Brazil, who celebrated its first-ever medal at the Winter Youth Olympics, earned by 17-year-old Zion Jacques Bethonico in men’s SBX.

Slopestyle: Lee Chaeun's Remarkable Triumph on Home Soil

The spotlight was on home hero Lee Chaeun, who delivered a breathtaking performance to clinch the gold medal. The competition was fierce, with Eli Bouchard from Canada and Romain Allemand from France also on the scene and stomping some heavy runs. The Korean snowboarder's victory in the men's slopestyle event, highlighted by a massive backside 1620, was particularly special as it occurred on his home soil in front of his friends and family.

On the women's side, we witnessed Austria's Hanna Karrer showcasing an exceptional top-to-bottom run and earning a well-deserved gold in the women's event.

Big Air: Eli Bouchard's Flawless Execution

Eli Bouchard of Canada, hungry for gold after settling for silver in Slopestyle, showcased flawless execution in the Big Air competition, claiming gold with impressive performances in the initial rounds, dropping a perfectly executed cab 16 followed by a front 16 on the second run.

Yura Murase blazed her own trail to gold at the Gangwon2024 Youth Olympic Games, following in the footsteps of her sister Coco.

Halfpipe: Japan's Rise with Kudo and Shimizu

Japan's growing influence in halfpipe snowboarding was evident through the synchronized excellence of Rise Kudo and Sara Shimizu. Both riders made impactful entrances in their initial runs, earning impressive scores of 90.75 and 84.50, respectively. Reigning halfpipe World Champion Chaeun Lee capped off the competition with a mind-blowing performance, securing victory and adding another gold to his collection in front of the home crowd with a run that included frontside triple cork.

As the final echoes of applause faded and the curtain fell on the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games, this didn't just mark an end, but also the beginning of a new era, proving the world that young talents are hungry for recognition and are coming to mark their name on the future of snowboarding.