Olympic legacy not just about venues but people, says IBSF president Ferriani

by IANS |

Gangneung (South Korea) Jan 25 (IANS) International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) president Ivo Ferriani praised the Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics for utilising the legacy of the PyeongChang 2018.

This legacy is not just about venues but also people, he told Xinhua on Monday.

Gangwon 2024, which took place from January 19 to February 1, has inherited all existing venues from the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Ferriani said that although long-term analysis will take five to six years, everything is working well for now.

"Organizing the Games is one thing, but after the Games, that is a big challenge," said Ferriani. "Here you see, not just our sliding center, but also the ski jumping center, and all the venues here in Gangneung, now everything runs perfectly."

"The legacy is not just about venues, it's about people," said the IBSF chief, adding that with the efforts of venue managers, athletes and coaches, PyeongChang has become a good international training center for players worldwide to grow and develop.

The former bobsledder said the successive Winter Olympics in South Korea and China had boosted the sport's popularity.

"Because Asia is becoming stronger and stronger, we have nations that never take part before, like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore," he said. "We expect more Asian nations [will soon be] participating."

He also stated that Asian countries do not need more venues, but rather should make good use of existing venues.

"We want to use the existing competition tracks we have today. One of the most important is in Yanqing. When we are here, this fantastic track is in PyeongChang, we also have a track in Nagano, Japan."

Meanwhile, the Italian advised young Asian athletes that they can find the best way to train through the IBSF academy.

Ferriani said the IBSF will work to create role models for the sport.

"We have to create a good role model for our athletes. Our champions are the promoters."

"Do you remember? I think when I was a little bit younger, Alberto Tomba created an interest in skiing all over the world, so we have to create models. This is the way to focus on," said the IBSF president.