The second day of competition at the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Gangwon 2024 delivered delight and drama in equal spades.
Italy claimed three of the nine gold medals on offer on Sunday (21st January) beginning their conquest first in luge, winning the men’s singles and women’s doubles titles.
The hosts of the next Winter Olympics then took gold in the opening alpine ski event. Cortina’s Camilla Vanni posted the fastest time in the women’s Super G on the Apollo 4 and 6 slopes at the Jeongseon High1 ski resort, while Germany’s Benno Brandis won the men’s title.
Italy is now tied with France for most gold medals won so far. Both countries are on four gold medals apiece thanks to a strong French one-two finish in the mixed team snowboard cross event and a biathlon relay gold. Antonin Guy was part of that French team, claiming his second title of this YOG.
There was agony for the Gangwon hosts in the short track speed skating with yesterday’s gold medallist Jaehee Joo unable to do a double after crashing out of the men’s 1000m final.
Zhang Xinzhe of the People’s Republic of China instead took the win ahead of Türkiye’s Muhammed Bozdag who won his country’s first-ever YOG medal with silver.
China also won the women’s 1000m event to complete a double with Li Jinzi claiming gold.
In ski jumping, there was also a promising nod to the future with Ajda Kosnjek winning with Slovenia in the mixed team event. The 16-year-old is supported by a Milano Cortina 2026 scholarship from Olympic Solidarity.
