“What Matters Is an Open Mind” Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024 With Galaxy

The Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024, a sports festival for youth around the world, kicked off on January 19 in Gangwon Province. Samsung Electronics participated as the official Worldwide Partner of the Winter Youth Olympic Games and engaged in various activities to support global youth athletes taking on challenges, thereby capturing the hearts of athletes and fans.

As the first Winter Youth Olympic Games in Asia, more than 1,800 youth athletes from 79 countries will compete in 15 sports across seven events in two weeks, fostering the Olympic spirit. With the world’s attention focused on the largest Youth Olympic Games in history, Samsung Electronics is providing an unforgettable experience for the participants by hosting an experience center for new products unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked 2024 and organizing sessions with national representative Olympic athletes.

Samsung Newsroom went to the site of the Youth Olympic Games, which was made even more special by Samsung’s latest IT and Galaxy.

▲ View of the Samsung Electronics Experience Center located in Gangneung Olympic Park in Gangwon Province

“Meet Galaxy AI in a Winter Snow Field.” – Samsung Galaxy Olympic Games Experience Center

The Samsung Galaxy Olympic Games Experience Center is located in Gangneung Olympic Park. Shaped like a giant snow ball, it reminded visitors of a winter snow field and drew their attention. The long line in front of the entrance despite the cold weather showed the intense interest in the new products unveiled at the recent Galaxy Unpacked.

▲ Visitors are waiting to enter the Samsung Galaxy Olympic Games Experience Center.

Outside the experience center, an 8-meter-high structure with the official mascot of the Games, Moongcho, and the Samsung Galaxy logo welcomed the visitors. A photo zone that shows Moongcho and Samsung Electronics’ partnership with the Olympic Games and looks like a snow globe was set up at the information zone. Visitors all took photos there, showing their excitement for the competition.

▲ (From the left) Information zone, Snowboarder Katie Ormerod taking a photo at the photo zone

The main experience center was packed with visitors eager to see the latest Galaxy products. The experience center consisted of an experience zone where visitors could try out the main features of Galaxy AI in the Galaxy S24 series, as well as other spaces that showcase Galaxy’s innovative mobile experiences, such as the Galaxy foldable and the Galaxy Book4 series exhibition zone, etc.

▲ Visitors have gathered to use the new Galaxy products.

In particular, Galaxy AI, which presents the infinite possibilities of mobile devices, received a great response from visitors. Visitors were thrilled with the new AI-powered experiences, including Live Translate, which translates a phone call in real time; Circle to Search, which allows users to circle an image or video to quickly find information without moving the screen; and Note Assist, which summarizes long texts written in the Samsung Notes app. “I think the live interpretation and translation feature will be very helpful for smooth communication with foreigners at international events such as the Youth Olympic Games,” said a visitor who tried out Galaxy AI.

▲ British Snowboarder Katie Ormerod is listening to the explanation about various AI features in the Galaxy S24 series.

▲ (From the left) Visitors are experiencing Galaxy AI’s Live Translate and Note Assist.

▲ Visitors are trying out the Circle to Search feature. You can easily search with just a simple gesture alone.

Visitors enjoyed a unique entertainment experience by playing winter sports-themed games and taking selfies with the Galaxy S24 series. Participants who took photos with the Galaxy S24 series were impressed with the powerful camera experience, which enables high-definition zoom, as well as optimal photos even when taken in low light. Galaxy AI’s various Gallery app editing features, which can greatly improve the quality of photos and videos taken, received a lot of attention as well.

▲ Winter Sports Game Zone and a visitor enjoying playing a ski jumping game with the Galaxy S24 series

▲ Visitors experiencing the Nightography feature, which lets you take clear photos even when you zoom in at night

▲ A visitor taking a photo of Moongcho, the mascot of Gangwon 2024, and editing the photo using Galaxy AI

In addition, visitors could also enjoy the various events that were held in the experience center to provide merchandise items symbolizing Gangwon 2024 and Gangwon Province, and the Gangwon 2024 mascot Moongcho visiting the experience center as well.

▲ A visitor at Samsung Galaxy Olympic Games Experience Center taking a photo with Moongcho

▲ (From the left) A visitor participating in the stamp tour event, the merchandise provided to event participants

Message of Support From Team Samsung Galaxy

On the 20th, the day after the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Youth Olympic Games, the first session of Chat with Samsung Galaxy, where inspirational stories are shared for youth athletes and visitors, was held at the Samsung Galaxy Olympic Games Experience Center.

Team Samsung Galaxy, a group of ambassadors comprised of Olympic athletes from around the world representing a variety of sports, participated in this event and had a discussion under the theme of “Breaking Barriers and Opening New Opportunities.” The event was packed with youth athletes, visitors, Olympic officials, influencers, as well as local and international media who gathered to listen to the session.

▲ The session was packed with the audience.

The event kicked off with actor Jae Min Park, who is an Olympic Games commentator and Gangwon 2024 ambassador, moderating the session. “Samsung Electronics has been an official partner of the Olympic Games for about 35 years,” said actor Park. “We organized the ‘Chat with Team Samsung Galaxy’ session to provide great inspiration at the Olympic Games for the youth,” he explained.

The audience erupted in cheers and applause when Team Samsung Galaxy member and national breaking athlete Yeri Kim of the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024, Team Samsung Galaxy member and short track & speed skating athlete Dae-heon Hwang of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and Team Samsung Galaxy member and British snowboarder Katie Ormerod of Beijing 2022 appeared.

▲ (From the left) Actor Jae Min Park, short track speed skating athlete Dae-heon Hwang, breaking athlete Yeri Kim and snowboarder Katie Ormerod

Yeri Kim, who competed at the Summer Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018, and Dae-heon Hwang, who competed at the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympic Games, said it was a special feeling to come to Gangwon 2024. “I was even more eager to come because it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in Youth Olympic Games,” Kim recalled. “But I think we made history by winning a medal in the breaking event, which was for the first time in Korea as well as the sport itself. So it is a very meaningful and proud memory,” she said. “The Youth Olympic Games was a step toward and experience for preparing for the future Olympic Games for me. It’s what got me here today,” said Hwang.

▲ (From the left) Breaking athlete Yeri Kim, short track speed skating athlete Dae-heon Hwang

Katie Ormerod shared her experience as a mentor to younger athletes. “I try to show them the importance of enjoying sports,” said Ormerod. “I think truly enjoying what you do is one of the most powerful drivers in life and a foundation for growth,” she added.

▲ Snowboarder Katie Ormerod

The members of Team Samsung Galaxy shared the challenges they faced during their athletic careers and how they overcame them and opened up new opportunities. Ormerod, who underwent seven surgeries due to an injury just before the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, said, “Even when I had to relearn how to walk, I didn’t let that stop me.” She added, “The support I had received while sharing my rehabilitation process on social media greatly helped me get through it, and I found myself as a snowboarder again,” she said.

“I always had anxiety about whether my hearing aids would deliver the music properly, but I didn’t see my disability as a barrier to my life,” said Kim, who overcame her limitation as a deaf breakdancer. “Opening up about my disability actually helped me connect with people more and grow,” she said.

Dae-heon Hwang, who won the gold medal at Beijing 2022, shared his advice on feeling the pressure regarding injuries. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t struggle every time I got injured,” he said. “With more injury, I worked out more, and I used it as an opportunity to get stronger,” he said, emphasizing that there’s nothing you can’t do if you keep trying.

The sincere stories of Team Samsung Galaxy athletes who overcame their limits with an open mind resonated with many people, as they are in line with Samsung Galaxy’s brand spirit of pursuing unlimited possibilities based on openness.

When asked by the audience what they like about using Galaxy as a member of Team Samsung Galaxy, Hwang said, “I utilize Galaxy’s amazing camera to capture videos for training analysis.” “I’m using Galaxy Z Flip, and it fits in my pocket so I can use it when I’m snowboarding as well,” said Ormerod. “For me, this smartphone is like a game changer for snowboarding,” she added.

▲ Short track speed skating athlete Dae-heon Hwang answers questions from the audience.

During the on-site interview with Samsung Newsroom, which was the last part, each member of Team Samsung Galaxy left a warm message of support for the sports dreamers.

From the Summer Youth Olympic Games Singapore 2010, which was the very first Youth Olympic Games, to the Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024, Samsung Electronics has been accompanying the youth on their journey of taking on challenges and achieving their dreams. As Samsung roots for the youth athletes who challenge their limits and the youth of the world, Samsung Electronics looks forward to playing a big role in many ways by connecting global athletes and fans as an official partner of the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024 as well.