The British Olympic Association (BOA) has today announced Olympic champion Eve Muirhead as Team GB’s Chef de Mission for the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games.
The four-time Olympian, who led the women’s curling rink to gold as skip at Beijing 2022, will head up a British delegation for the first time after announcing her retirement from competition last summer.
Muirhead said: “I am delighted to have the honour of leading Team GB for Gangwon 2024. For me, taking part in international competition at a junior level was invaluable preparation for my senior career. The athletes who represent Team GB in Gangwon will gain experience of competing on the world stage in a multi-sport environment, as well as the opportunity to learn, develop and interact with athletes from other nations. It is a real privilege to be able to prepare and support them in what for many will be their first taste of an Olympic environment.”
Andy Anson, Chief Executive of the BOA, said: “It is fantastic to have Eve on board as Chef de Mission for Gangwon. She is an outstanding and well-established leader, and her experience competing across four Olympic Games’ will offer a hugely valuable level of insight for our young athletes. I have no doubt that she will serve as an inspiration for those selected to compete for Team GB at the event.”
The fourth edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games will take place in the Republic of Korea’s Gangwon province from 19 January – 1 February 2024. Almost 2000 athletes, all aged 15 – 18, are expected to compete across the 15 Olympic sports on the programme: alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, luge, Nordic combined, short track, skeleton, ski jumping, snowboard and speed skating.
Many British Olympians competed at Youth Olympic Games before going on to represent Team GB at a senior Games, including Muirhead’s Beijing 2022 teammates Mili Smith and Ross Whyte, who both competed at Lillehammer 2016; double Olympians Mica McNeill and Jazmin Sawyers, who claimed bobsleigh silver at Innsbruck 2012; and Kirsty Muir, who won big air silver at Lausanne 2020 before becoming the youngest member of Team GB at Beijing 2022. Among those who have competed at summer Youth Olympic Games are Tom Daley, Jade Jones, Duncan Scott, Luke Greenbank and Caroline Dubois.
A key pillar of the Youth Olympic Games is the inclusion of an education programme designed to enhance the wellbeing of young elite athletes both on the field of play and in their everyday lives. The programme in Gangwon will encompass topics such as mental health, injury prevention, safe sport and anti-doping.