Gangwon 2024fourth Winter Youth Olympic Games and the first to be held in Asia is fast approaching.
The South Korean province, which also hosted the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, welcomes the world’s best young athletes in January 2024.
The program includes all winter Olympic disciplines, including luge. Discover all the sports highlights at Gangwon 2024 as the countdown to the opening ceremony begins on January 19, 2024.
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Luge at Gangwon 2024: Schedule and Venue
Several PyeongChang 2018 facilities will be reused for Gangwon 2024.
The Alpensia sliding centerwho hosted luge during PyeongChang 2018 and saw Natalie Geisenberger and David Gleirscher the women’s and men’s titles, respectively, will be changed to Gangwon 2024.
The Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games are scheduled to take place from January 19 to February 1, 2024, but specific dates for the individual competitions have yet to be determined.
Luge at Gangwon 2024: Events and Format
There are five luge events in Gangwon 2024:
- single women
- Single men
- Two women
- Men’s Doubles
- Team relay
Tobogganing is often referred to as the “fastest winter Olympic sport”, with young athletes reaching speeds of up to 125 km/h. For this reason, sports are measured to a thousandth of a second.
The goal is simple: Lying on their backs with their feet pointing down the track, athletes must move their sled from the top of the track to the finish line as quickly as possible, using subtle leg and body movements to change direction.
The singles the competition consists of two runs, of which the fastest combined time wins.
in doubles the event follows the same format, with the larger of the two lugeers lying on top for better aerodynamics. The top runner also steers the sled while the bottom runner corrects any mistakes
The team relay consists of a women’s sled, a men’s sledge and a double sled. It’s exciting to watch it use a continuous clock, which means the next sled can only start its run when the rider in front of it touches the pad at the finish line.
How to Qualify for Luge at the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics
The total number of participating athletes is limited to 100 tobogganers. This means 20 men’s and 20 women’s singles and 15 men’s and 15 women’s doubles.
All riders must compete in at least three Continental Cup, World Junior Cup, Junior World Cup or Overall World Cup races in the pre-Olympic (2022/2023) and Youth Olympic seasons (October 1, 2023 to December 10, 2023). 2023).
During these two periods of competition, riders or duos must score at least ten World Cup points in Continental Cup, World Youth Cup, Junior World Cup or World Cup overall races.
At least one of these runs must take place during the 2023/2024 Youth Olympic Season until December 10, 2023.
All players must be born between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2009.
For more information on the luge qualifiers at Gangwon 2024, click here.
Winter Youth Olympic Games luge – previous stars
David GleirscherOlympic men’s singles champion and mixed team bronze medalist from PyeongChang 2018, made his first appearance on the luge stage at the Winter Youth Olympics in Innsbruck 2012.
The Austrian was part of the winning mixed team at the 2021 World Championships and also won bronze medals in the sprint and men’s singles.
his compatriot, Magdalena Egle she won the women’s singles at Lillehammer 2016 YOG before winning silver in singles at the 2022 European Games.
Her best performances as a senior, however, came in the team relay, where she helped Austria win gold at the 2021 World Championships and silver at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Lillehammer men’s singles winner 2016, Kristers Aparjodshe also distinguished himself on the senior scene, winning silver in singles and helping Latvia in the team relay at the 2022 European Championships.
Elsewhere, he was part of Latvia’s squad that won silver at the 2020 World Cup and bronze at Beijing 2022.
Finally USA Summer Britcher and Tucker West were part of the 2012 Innsbruck gold medal team relay team before helping their country win a bronze medal in the same event at the 2020 World Championships, alongside the 2018 PyeongChang men’s singles silver medalist Krzysztof Mazzer.
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