SPEED skater Peter Groseclose arrived in South Korea yesterday ahead of the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon this Friday.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said freestyle skier Laetaz Amihan Rabe will check in at the GangneungYouth Olympic Village on Friday and cross-country skier Avery Balbanida will arrive on Jan. 25.
Tolentino and POC secretary-general Wharton Chan will leave for Gangwon on Thursday and will meet up with chef de mission Ada Milby, Philippine Skating Union president Nikki Cheng and Philippine Ski and Snowboard Federation secretary-general Jezreel Apelar.
The opening rites will be held simultaneously at the Gangneung Oval and PyeongChang Dome for the games that is gathering 1,900 athletes aged 15 to 18 from 79 nations competing in 81 events spread over seven sports disciplines.
Groseclose, 16, qualified for the short track’s 500, 1,000 and 1,500-meter races on Jan. 20 to 24.
Rabe, 14, is entered in the Slopestyle and Big Air events, while Balbanida, 16, is flying in later from Calgary City for the 7.5-km classic skiing and sprint freestyle set from Jan. 29 to February 1.
“It’s always exciting for the Philippines to be on any international stage and for us to have three athletes in the Winter Youth Olympic Games,” said Milby, who heads the rugby federation. “It demonstrates the commitment of the athletes to perform on that level.”
