• TL;DR: Gangwon 2024's Winter Youth Olympic Games are setting up a village in the metaverse.

• So what? Later this month, you’ll be able to take virtual tours, compete in interactive winter sports, and watch live streaming in a new connection between the physical and virtual worlds.

For the first time, fans of the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) can immerse themselves in a metaverse experience tailored to Gangwon 2024. The digital leap connects fans globally, offering a range of interactive opportunities. From virtual venue tours to mini-games—players can compete in ski jumping, bobsleigh, and curling, or if you’re based in South Korea, you can watch live streamed sports.

What’s in the Youth Olympic Games metaverse?

Understanding the global nature of the Olympics, the Gangwon 2024 metaverse features automatic translation in six languages—Korean, English, Spanish, French, Japanese and Chinese. 

But the inclusivity doesn't stop there.

Users can personalise their experience with avatars choosing from 30 different characters with a variety of customisation options, such as hairstyles, body shapes and clothing. These avatars can express a range of emotions and perform dances, adding a layer of personal expression to the digital experience. Once you’ve created your custom avatar, you can freely move around the 3D virtual world.

Staying true to the Olympic Agenda

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the Gangwon 2024 metaverse is its potential to connect people across the globe. Here, geographical boundaries dissipate, allowing fans from different corners of the world to meet, interact, and share their passion for winter sports.

The move represents another step forward for one of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms—that sport needs to go where the people are.

Last year at the 141st International Olympic Committee session in Mumbai, IOC President Thomas Bach emphasised the importance of the games’ continued digital integration through events like Olympic Esports Week and the exploration of an Olympic Esports Games, sharing that increased accessibility and inclusion was “true for both worlds – the real and the digital one.”

“Today sport has to compete for the time and attention of young people,” said Bach. “Therefore, we have to reach out to the youth where they are in this digital world. This is not just a technological imperative. This is also a demographic imperative.”

Bridging the digital and the physical Gangwon

If you can’t make it to South Korea for the games, the metaverse also offers a virtual tour of the host region. In the metaverse you can explore digital recreations of nine YOG venues, the Youth Olympic villages, and four major tourist attractions in Gangwon. This feature not only enhances users’ experience but also offers a glimpse of the cultural and scenic beauty of Gangwon Province.

To bring the online metaverse full circle into the physical events of the Winter YOG, the Gangneung Green City Experience Centre in Gangwon will host a physical "Metaverse Experience". This in person venue will offer virtual reality kits and simulators, allowing visitors to engage in winter sports in an immersive environment. It's a testament to how digital and physical realities can complement and enhance each other at events.

A new chapter in Olympic history

The Winter YOG Gangwon 2024 kicks off on 19 January, running until 1 February. With approximately 1,900 athletes from 81 National Olympic Committees expected to participate, the event is set to be a spectacular showcase of youthful talent and digital innovation. Fans eager to witness the next generation of winter sports stars can apply for their tickets at tickets.gangwon2024.org, or step into the virtual world for an Olympic experience like no other.