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#FigureSkating #Gangwon2024    

IOC Young Leader Javier Raya (ESP) on the ice rink at the Gangneung Olympic Park. @Javier Raya

Figure Skater Olympian and IOC Young Leader Javier Raya (ESP): "Sport is a positive tool to achieve inclusion at all levels" 

It's a short bus ride, just under twenty minutes, from the Gangneung Olympic Park to the Youth Olympic Village, where you are greeted by a banner made up of the national flags of the participating countries.

Located inside the village (housing about 1,600 athletes) for the Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024 is Athlete365 House. Think of it like a clubhouse, where young athletes can unwind and connect after their events.  

Upon first glance, you can already tell that the hub is buzzing with activity. There’s table tennis, an escape room, and an area for learning how to capture and edit photos and videos. Feeling a bit tired? You can also meditate with a Virtual Reality experience or play board games.  

Young athletes competing at Gangwon 2024 are also able to take full advantage of the interactive learning experiences, where they can participate in fun and engaging activities designed to enhance their skills, knowledge, and personal development.   

Engaging with young athletes through games

And that is why I'm here today. I'm meeting former international Figure Skater and Olympian Javier Raya (ESP). Raya is one of the fifty IOC Young Leaders, a programme designed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to support and empower young people to make a positive difference in society through sport.

The 32-year-old Raya is on the ground at Gangwon 2024, together with seven other IOC Young Leaders, trying to engage with young athletes through the Athlete365 House project. With his IOC Young Leader project Compete Proud, Raya hopes to provide a safe space for the LGBTQI+ community in sports.

“Athlete365 has evolved a lot from when I competed at the Olympic Games in Sochi (2014). It used to be small space with limited activities and now there are a lot of different booths with all sorts of activities,” Raya said, sitting on one of the comfy sofas next to the IOC Young Leaders booth at Athlete365 House.

 

“The main goal as an IOC Young Leader is to share our knowledge and put our projects on the map. I have also collaborated with the ISU through my project 'Compete Proud' as it aims to use sport as a positive tool to achieve inclusion at all levels, from grassroots to the Olympic Stage.”

 

“I’ve had really interesting conversations with athletes and coaches during my time here so far. It’s really encouraging to be able to engage with them in such an open manner. They can also discover in an interactive way, through playing games, more about the Olympic values that really serve as an inspiration for us.”

 

“It’s about giving them the different tools that they may need to learn that there is a lot of things taking place beyond the Games. And they can be a part of the IOC Young Leaders programme as well if they're looking to do something next to their sport career.”

Raya's initiative Compete Proud amplifies the voices of LGBTQ+ athletes and promotes inclusion in sports. He collaborates with international sport organisations, including the ISU, contributing as an editorial writer on equality and diversity in Figure Skating.

You can read one of his articles here.

Eyes on Figure Skating at Gangwon2024

As Gangwon 2024 turns its attention to Figure Skating, with the first medal events (Pairs Skating Free and Men’s Single Skating Free) taking place at the Gangneung Ice Arena tomorrow (Monday), a match-up between Japan and the Republic of Korea is again expected on the Olympic stage.

"There is a huge passion for Figure Skating in Asia," Raya said, also having competed at the highest international level. "It's clear that countries like Japan and the Republic of Korea always have an amazing amount of talent in the sport. Figure Skating is part of their DNA."

Just to mention a few names: there is Shimada Mao (JPN), the 2023 ISU World Junior champion, in the Women’s field. Named after her compatriot and three-time World Champion Asada Mao (JPN), she will face tough competition from Shin Jia (KOR), who won the Korean national title in 2023 and is poised to dominate for years to come.

The Men’s field at Gangwon 2024 also features some junior heavyweights, including all three medallists at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2023 - champion Nakata Rio (JPN), Kim Hyungyeom (KOR) and Adam Hagara (SVK).

Nakata Rio (JPN) competing in the Figure Skating Men Single Skating - Short program at the Gangneung Ice Arena on Saturday. @OIS/Simon Bruty

Next generation in action 

For Raya, the Figure Skating competition at Gangwon 2024 is also an “opportunity to discover the next generation of figure skaters".

"The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is a perfect platform for these athletes. We’ve seen in the past that those who perform well at the YOG also impress at the Olympic Games,” Raya said.

 

"I’m definitely expecting that some of the athletes who perform well here will make it to the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics in two years. They will surprise us with how quickly they can rise to the top while also still being so young."

 

"I’m so excited for the competition. I hope to be able to come to the Ice Arena every day. I still have some shifts at Athlete365 House, so I’ll try to manage both and see as much of Figure Skating as possible."

The first pair of Figure Skating medals will be awarded tomorrow (Monday) in the Pair Skating Free and Men’s Single Skating Free events at Gangwon 2024. Full schedule can be found here.

You can watch the live stream of the competitions at Gangwon 2024 here.