Korea's Yubin to make luge history at 2024 Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon
Seoul (FIL/22 Aug 2023) 150 days before the 2024 Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, Korea, it is time to talk about the home team. Shin Yubin will lead the first Korean luge team in history at the first Youth Olympic Games in Asia.
The 17-year-old from Pyeongchang will compete at the 2024 Gangwon Youth Olympic Games - the fourth edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games - in the cities of Pyeongchang and Gangneung, the venue of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
Luge - "Positive excitement and realism".
"Participating in the YOG is the opportunity of a lifetime," said Yubin. "It's an honor and I'm very grateful to have this responsibility for my country - I'm really looking forward to luge in front of the Korean audience!
"Luge will be of special interest to the people here - they will be thrilled by the extreme speed," said Yubin. "The positive excitement and realism of luge - with unexpected changes in the rankings by thousandths of a second - will be very exciting for the fans."
The legacy of Pyeongchang - the winter fairy tale.
Yubin was a member of the junior national rhythmic gymnastics team when she first saw Aileen Frisch of the Korean national team finish eighth in luge at Pyeongchang 2018 - and was instantly hooked on all things ice.
"That was a big turning point in my life," Yubin says. "And meeting Shin Sungsik in 2020 - who was the jury president at the time, and has now been confirmed as the race director for YOG 2024 - made me dedicate myself to luge."
"Now I admire my coach Lim Namkyu's spirit and will as a professional athlete - watching his journey to Beijing 2022, how he never gives up despite serious injuries, I have absolute respect."
Gangwon 2024 #LoveLuge
The continued use of the Pyeongchang 2018 venues is at the heart of Gangwon 2024's mission, with luge competitions taking place at the Pyeongchang Olympic Sliding Center.
"I spend most of my life on this track - it is very special to me because this is where I started luge. To give my best performance here at the YOG 2024 is my biggest goal," said Yubin.
"One of the main features of the track is that the start is quite flat, which requires strength and fitness right at the beginning of the race. I can't wait to see the crowd's reaction at Gangwon 2024 - speed makes me feel good and the crowd will understand - how can you not love Luge?" she added.
All athletes competing at Gangwon 2024 will start at curve 6. The track will take them through ten more turns with a height difference of 120 meters, with the fastest lugers reaching a speed of 106 km/h, according to the fastest sled at ITW (International Training Week 2023).
