FIS is pleased to announce the FIS Athlete Role Models (ARMs) for the first edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games at Innsbruck from 13th-22nd January 2012.
The involvement of the ARMs to mentor the young athletes attending the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) at the first summer edition in Singapore 2010 was one of the most appreciated features of this new Olympic event. Some recently retired FIS athletes have agreed to serve as the Athlete Role Models for the FIS disciplines in Innsbruck 2012. The list features some of the best athletes of the last decade in their respective FIS disciplines who between them have won nine Olympic medals, 14 FIS World Championship medals, 55 FIS World Cup victories and collected 153 FIS World Cup podium places.
The FIS Athlete Role Models at Innsbruck 2012 will be:
Cross-Country Skiing - Petra Majdic (SLO)
Ski Jumping - Andreas Küttel (SUI)
Nordic Combined - Samppa Lajunen (FIN)
Alpine Skiing - Marco Büchel (LIE)
Freestyle Skiing - Shannon Bahrke Happe (USA)
Snowboarding - Nicola Thost (GER)
These former top athletes will all be sharing their personal experiences and working with young participants to pass on the values of the Olympic movement. The ARMs will spend time with the athletes, answering their questions and providing tips on everything from healthy eating to training regimens. The ARMs have an additional opportunity to enrich the overall experience away from the competition venues at the YOG 2012 by working through the Innsbruck 2012 Cultural Education Program which is based on five educational themes: Olympism and the Olympic values, skills development, well-being and healthy lifestyles, social responsibility and expression through digital media.
Participating in the Olympic Games since Lillehammer 1994, Marco Büchel is the most experienced athlete amongst the FIS Athlete Role Models. Winning a silver medal in giant slalom at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail/Beaver Creek in 1999 is one of Büchel's career highlights. A total of 18 podiums in the FIS World Cup adorn his resume, including the final one in Wengen in 2011, where he finished third in the downhill.
Büchel retired after the 2010/11 season and is excited to watch the young athletes participate in Innsbruck: "It has always been an honor to represent my country at the Olympic Games. I participated in six Olympics, and every one of them was a unique experience. The Olympic spirit caught me from the beginning, and it was fascinating to meet all these different athletes from different nations and sports."
