Local athlete Josie Johnson to compete in the Youth Olympic Games

Team USA letters on display at the Utah Olympic Park, a USOPC Training Site. Photo: Michele Roepke // TownLift

PARK CITY, Utah — On Wednesday, U.S. Ski & Snowboard formally nominated the Youth Olympic Winter Games (YOG) alpine, nordic combined, and ski jumping teams slated to compete Jan. 19 – Feb. 1, 2024, in Gangwon Province, South Korea. The alpine, ski jumping, and Nordic combined teams are in addition to the cross country, freestyle, snowboard, and freeski teams, which were nominated earlier in the fall.

Among the nominations is Park City Ski and Snowboard athlete Josie Johnson, a student at the Winter Sports School.

She told TownLift, “Saying I’m excited doesn’t convey how happy I am. Going to Youth Olympics is so cool, but going with my best friend/teammate Estella Hassrick will be so fun. I am most excited for the mixed team event because I think we have a good chance to place well. I can’t wait to bedazzle my face with red, white, and blue, meet and trade pins with the athletes from other countries.”

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The 2024 Youth Olympic Games, held every four years, will welcome more than 1,900 athletes from more than 80 National Olympic Committees to PyeongChang, the home of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Historically, the Youth Olympic Games was created by the former president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, with a mission to bring together the world’s best young athletes and educate and inspire the next generation of Olympians.

At the 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland, 96 athletes across 16 sports represented the United States. The games helped catapult the careers of many national team athletes, including 2023 world champion and alpine skier River Radamus, who found success at the Youth Olympic Games in 2016, winning three gold medals.

“I am very impressed by this group of alpine skiers set to represent the U.S. in Gangwon,” said Anouk Patty, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief of Sport in a statement. “These alpine skiers have an incredible opportunity with the Youth Olympic Games to put their alpine ski racing to the test among international competitors.”

There will be five alpine events at the Games including a slalom, giant slalom, super-G, alpine combined and mixed team parallel.

The ski jumping and nordic combined groups also show great promise this year. A majority of the nordic combined team will be getting their first taste of international experience and will put their talents to the test on the international stage after a strong season of domestic results.

“This year’s team is strong and I’m looking forward to seeing how they perform in South Korea,” said Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Sport Director Anders Johnson in a statement. “Gangwon should be a very exciting event, and I’m looking forward to watching our athletes perform their best and represent our country.”

Nordic combined will include a men’s and women’s individual 4k and 6k race, a mixed team 4×3.3k relay, mixed team normal hill and men’s and women’s individual normal hill. The ski jumping schedule will include individual and mixed team events.

2024 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Youth Olympic Games Team
(hometown; club; birthdate)

ALPINE

WOMEN

Stella Buchhesiter (Carbondale, CO; Team Summit; 08/20/2006)
Annika Hunt (East Burke, VT; Burke Mountain Academy; 11/30/2006)
Christina Winchell (Stowe, VT; Mount Mansfield Academy; 1/31/2006)

MEN

Stewart Bruce (Avon, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 02/02/2006)
Jevin Pamlquist (Eagan, MN; Team Summit; 03/06/2007)
Jack Schrady (Truckee, CA; Sugar Bowl Ski Team & Academy, 3/9/2006)

STAFF

Sam Damon – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Eastern Region Director
Doug Elsey – Team Summit
Scott Houser – Ski & Snowboard Club Vail

SKI JUMPING

WOMEN

Estella Hassrick (Madison, WI; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club / U.S. Ski Jumping Team development team; 05/21/2006)
Josie Johnson (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard / U.S. Ski Jumping Team; 10/03/2006)

MEN

Jason Colby (Steamboat Springs, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club / U.S. Ski Jumping Team development team; 03/30/2006)
Sawyer Graves (Steamboat Springs, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; 09/30/2008)

STAFF

Karl Denney – Ski Jumping Coach (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club)

NORDIC COMBINED

WOMEN

Kai McKinnon (Lake Placid, NY; New York Ski Educational Foundation / U.S. Nordic Combined Team development team; 05/06/2008)
Ella Wilson (Steamboat Springs, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; 03/04/2008)

MEN

Anders Giese (Wilmette, IL; Norge Ski Club; 08/06/2008)
Arthur Tirone (Steamboat Springs, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; 02/08/2008)

STAFF

Michael Ward – Nordic Combined Coach (Park City Ski & Snowboard/U.S. Men’s Nordic Combined Team domestic coach)