Tunisian bobsleighers making history by competing at Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024

The first-ever athletes from Tunisia have qualified for Gangwon 2024, marking a historic moment as the country’s inaugural participation in any Winter Olympic Games.

Teenagers Jonathan Lourimi, Beya Mokrani and Sophie Ghorbal will be competing in the bobsleigh in Gangwon, breaking new ground for athletes from the North African nation.

The bobsleighers are products of a Legacy Foundation from the Winter Olympic Games Pyeongchang 2018. The PyeongChang Legacy Foundations (PCLF)’s New Horizons Camp was aimed at developing athletes from countries with no existing infrastructure.

Beya Mokrani and Sophie Ghorbal, who are both 15, are competing in the women’s monobob, in which medals are decided on Monday (Jan 22), while 17 year-old Jonathan Lourimi is in action in the men’s monobob, which concludes the following day. He has reached third in the youth rankings.

Lourimi is thrilled to have the opportunity to compete in Gangwon:

“We meet new friends from different parts of the world. The adrenaline level is crazy when you get into this sport. And it’s not only the physical part, it’s all about having fun – I’m enjoying myself more when I do sports than when I don’t.”

Ghorbal said she is “super happy to represent Tunisia” and Mokrani added: “I’m very happy – it’s been a long journey to arrive here and we’re delighted. People from our country are very proud of us.”

There will be 25 athletes from New Horizons Camp competing at Gangwon 2024, representing nine National Olympic Committees (NOCs).

The athletes represent Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Mongolia, Singapore, Brazil, Colombia, Jamaica and Kenya as well as Tunisia. They will be competing in Bobsleigh, Luge, Short Track Speed Skating, Alpine Skiing and Cross-country Skiing.

The Winter Youth Olympic Games is filmed for live television and digital streaming on Olympic Channel via https://olympics.com and the Olympics app, with full session replays and highlights also available. Gangwon 2024 takes place from January 19 to February 1.