Great success for the International ICE Show held in Pontebba on Thursday evening, 5 January. In the PalaVuerich, packed with spectators, national and international skaters performed choreographies and performances that entertained the many ice sports fans who did not want to miss this early-year sports event. The event, organised by the Palaghiaccio Consortium, the Municipality of Pontebba and the Gruppo Sportivo Val Gleris in collaboration with Spettacolo Ghiaccio, gave the large audience the opportunity to see the improvements and investments made by the Municipality and the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region in the facility, which has undergone extensive modernisation and improvement work in recent months. The work involved heating, dehumidification, security, sound and fire protection systems, as well as the lighting system, which was made more efficient.
The performance was preceded by a short presentation ceremony of the European Youth Olympic Festival, whose 16th winter edition will take place in Friuli Venezia Giulia from 21 to 28 January. Mayor Ivan Buzzi welcomed and thanked the representatives of the regional institutions and the delegation of the EYOF2023 organising committee, whose figure skating and short track competitions will take place in the Pontebba ice rink from 21 to 27 January.
The journey of the torch, Road to EYOF2023, also continues. On Saturday 7 January, the flame, an iconic symbol of peace and sporting values, will arrive in Forni di Sopra. At 17.30, the impressive cauldron lighting ceremony will be held in Piazza Centrale, and will be attended by local and regional institutions, ski clubs, and representatives of the local sports movement.
Forni di Sopra, surrounded by the magnificent peaks of the Friulian Dolomites, which are part of the UNESCO World Natural Heritage, is the venue for the ski mountaineering competitions, a discipline that will be held for the first time at the Youth Olympic Games in Friuli Venezia Giulia on the occasion of the EYOF2023 FVG.
The EYOF2023 FVG, the multi-sport event for young people aged 14-18, is expected to attract 2,300 participants, including 1,300 athletes taking part in the 109 sports competitions across the 14 disciplines on the programme (21-28 January).
The Torch, a metaphor for Olympic values and a symbol of the ability to bring together, in the name of sport, people from different nations, cultures, languages and traditions, will arrive on board the ‘Io Sono Friuli Venezia Giulia’ lorry in the company of the Mascot KUGY.
