Snowy closing ceremony caps off Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon

The United States national team enjoys the closing ceremony of the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics under the snow at Gangneung Olympic Park in Gangneung, Gangwon on Thursday. [YONHAP]

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon — The biggest event for the world’s best young talent in winter sports ended in the most winter way possible — in the snow, outside.

The Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics officially closed on Thursday night as light, icy snow fell on a flashy outdoor closing ceremony at Gangneung Olympic Park in Gangneung, Gangwon.

“It appears snow has also decided to join us during the celebration,” Choi Jong-ku, the executive president of the Gangwon 2024 Organizing Committee, said in a speech during the ceremony.

Athletes had arrived by the hundreds in national delegations of varying sizes, bussed in to the Gangneung Hockey Centre near the outdoor festival stage.

Teams decked out in matching winter-proof gear marched past a line of cameras, with some athletes splitting from their group to give a quick interview.

Medallists donned their new bling, and a sea of flags filled the waiting area inside the hockey center before the athletes headed back outside for the closing party.

EDM blasted from the speakers, greeting the athletes as they passed through an aisle of people waiting for them outside and handed out high-fives. Team Korea received the loudest whoops to an expectant crowd of mostly local volunteers and fans.

The ceremony started promptly at 8 p.m. with the Korean national anthem, sung by the Gangneung Junior Choir, followed by a parade of national flags as the snow glistened under bright white lights.

Mary Wendling, whose daughter won a bronze medal for the United States in curling, said she wasn’t bothered by the constant dust of snow.

“It is quite different from what we saw earlier in the week, when it was 50 [degrees Fahrenheit] yesterday, and now we have snow,” she said. “But it’s beautiful, the snow is beautiful."

A performance by rapper Lee Young-ji and dance group 1 Million followed, in between highlight videos of athletes and the tournament’s roughly 2,000 volunteers over the past two weeks.

Choi, the organizing committee president, then took to the stage to deliver speedy remarks.

"As we all return to our countries and communities, let us remember the wonderful experience here and continue to uphold Olympic spirit," he said, before thanking the volunteers in Korean.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach joined Choi on the stage, thanking the athletes and local organizers in a short two-minute speech. “All this…would not be possible without the great work of our Korean friends,” he said.

A half hour later, the ceremony was over just as fast as it started, though with plenty of fanfare as smoke machines blasted to extinguish a digital Olympic flame.

Team Korea placed third on the total medal table, winning seven gold, six silver and four bronze.

BY MARY YANG [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]