There is only one week left until the start of the fourth edition of the Youth Olympic Winter Games, which will take place from January 19 to February 1, 2024 in Gangwon (South Korea). Among the 1900 athletes from all over the world, there are also five Moldovans, who will represent the country in the biathlon and cross-country skiing competitions: Vladislav Maistrov, Arina Rusu and Dinu Belevac (biathlon), Emilia Sainciuc and Mihail Carpov (cross-country skiing). The young people are now finishing their training in Obertilliach (Austria), and on Monday, January 15, they will travel to South Korea, in the Olympic Village.
Fans and colleagues will celebrate the team in Vienna. From the President of the Biathlon Federation, Dmitri Torner, a surprise and gifts are being prepared for the young athletes.
Of course, we want to pay more attention to the young athletes - after all, we all want this first Olympics in their life to be with true first, and not the only one. They were raised by Moldova, and a lot still needs to be invested in them, but they are ready to bring victories to the country. Even if without state honors, we will certainly make the day they go to the Olympics an unforgettable one for them!", said Dmitri Torner. During the training, the young athletes filmed video messages in which they told what participating in the Olympic Games means to them and how much effort they put in. "The Olympic Games is a new experience and the most important step for each of us. We are working to achieve the best possible performance and to create the most beautiful memories, to represent the country with pride!", say the athletes.
"Preparation for the Olympic Games is proceeding according to plan, all conditions are met," said coach Anton Talmaza. - Juniors, at their young age, have already become professionals, they are very responsible in training, in the regime. Today we practiced the shooting approach. There are some imperfections, it is important that he notices them, tries to correct them during training. Anton Talmaza joined the coaching staff of the national junior team in November 2023, before that he worked as a coach at a children's sports school for four years, so he quickly found common ground with athletes. In Gangwon, with the team will be the head coach of the national junior team Nadejda Bria with the assistant Sveatoslav Maliutin. And until January 14, under their control, the national team will compete at the World Cup stage in Ruhpolding, Germany. There, on January 11, Maxim Makarov already showed an excellent shooting result in his relay stage, entering the top 10. Even foreign commentators noted this moment.