Participation and enthusiasm in Piazza XX Settembre
After stages in San Marino and Spittal an der Drau (Austria), the flame, the iconic symbol of peace and sporting values of the 16th Winter Sports, Snow and Ice edition of the EYOF2023 FVG, has arrived in Friuli Venezia Giulia. On Monday 28 November, the torch, a symbol of the ability to bring together people from different nations, cultures, languages and traditions in the name of sport, was welcomed in Tolmezzo with enthusiasm and warmth. The torch, carried by some athletes from Carnia’s ski clubs, reached Piazza XX Settembre, where the fire was lit in the presence of the highest institutions of the city and the region, as well as representatives of the ski resorts involved in this great international multisport event for young people between 14 and 18 years old.
Carnia, with its ski resorts, according to the president of EYOF2023, Maurizio Dunnhofer, will be one of the 3 clusters where numerous sports competitions will take place from 21 to 28 January 2023. More than 400 athletes from 30 European nations will compete in 5 different Winter Olympic sports disciplines: Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Freestyle (Slopestyle & Big Air), Ski Cross and Ski Mountaineering in the venues of Forni Avoltri, Sappada, Zoncolan-Ravascletto and Forni di Sopra. Our intention, Dunnhofer concluded, is to involve as many people as possible, young and old, from the different municipalities in Carnia and the region, in order to live up to the motto of this great European youth sports event, namely One Region One Festival.
The Mayor of Tolmezzo, Roberto Vicentini, thanked the organising committee for choosing the capital of Carnia as the first stop of the torch’s journey in Friuli Venezia Giulia. The people of Tolmezzo and Carnia reacted positively, Vicentini stressed. They gathered in large numbers in the square to greet and welcome the EYOF2023 delegation. The mayor thanked in particular the children, young people, coaches and representatives of the various ski clubs of the region, who are important ambassadors of the healthy and educational values of the sport. Carnia, the land of great champions, has always paid a lot of attention to the youth sports movement, which, through its results and the various activities it carries out, is an important flagship for the Friulian mountains and the entire Friuli Venezia Giulia region, as well as an added value for our communities
The President of CONI Friuli Venezia Giulia, Giorgio Brandolin, echoed Mayor Vicentini’s words and strongly encouraged the mountain community of Carnia and the entire region to participate in EYOF2023. We sincerely hope that this great event will be a celebration for all and that the passion for sport in this area will be expressed in the best possible way for the hundreds of young athletes and guests from Italy and abroad who will come to our mountain areas next January. I am sure that some of the athletes who will compete at the EYOF2023 Friuli Venezia Giulia will then be protagonists at the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina 2026, said Brandolin, recalling that the torch, which has also arrived in Tolmezzo, is a strong symbol of the peace that we all hope will prevail as soon as possible in Ukraine, whose delegation will be welcomed by Friuli Venezia Giulia at the EYOF2023.
The Vice-President of the Regional Council of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Stefano Mazzolini, recalled the significant investments made by the region in ski facilities, infrastructure and logistics, with a long-term vision that points to the future. The aim is to make the entire regional mountain area attractive not only in the winter season but all year round, with a focus on sustainable mobility. The European Youth Olympic Festival 2023 will be a driving force for the future of sport in Friuli Venezia Giulia and an international showcase for our beautiful region, Mazzolini affirmed.
The event was also attended by Olympic champion Silvio Fauner and the President of the mountain municipality of Carnia, Ermes De Crignis.
