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Winter Youth Olympic Games, Lillehammer, Norway – Information for the media
1) General Information
The 2nd Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) will be held from 12 to 21 February 2016 in Lillehammer, Norway.
The Winter Youth Olympic Games are an elite multi-sport international event for the world’s best young athletes between the ages of 15-18 who will compete in 70 medal events. Integrated into the event is a unique programme of cultural and educational activities (Learn & Share) that gives the young athletes the necessary skills to inspire and empower them in their future careers both on and off the field of play.
The Winter Youth Olympic Games Lillehammer 2016 will offer the accredited media basic media facilities and a comfortable working environment at all venues, in a unique winter setting.
The operations for media are on a different scale than those found at Olympic Games, and will offer a more interactive atmosphere for media representatives and athletes, with the focus on creating an easy and fun reporting environment in the spirit of the Youth Olympic Games.
The Games will re-use venues from the famous 1994 Olympic Winter Games. In addition to Lillehammer, sports will be contested in the districts of Oslo, Hamar, Gjøvik and Øyer.
There will be 11 competition venues and six non-competition venues. A detailed list of the venues is included below:
| Venue Name (Official YOG name) |
Sub-Venue (if applicable)
|
Sport Discipline / Activity |
| Birkebeineren Ski Stadium |
Birkebeiner Biathlon Stadium |
Biathlon |
|
Birkebeineren Cross Country Stadium
|
Cross-Country Skiing, Nordic Combined, CC & NC |
Lillehammer
Olympic Sliding Centre |
|
Bobsleigh, Skeleton, Luge |
| Stampesletta Ice Venues |
Curling Hall |
Curling |
| Kristins Hall |
Ice Hockey |
| Youth Hall |
Ice Hockey |
| Hamar Olympic Amphitheatre |
The Amphitheatre |
Figure Skating |
| Storhamarhallen |
Figure Skating training venue |
| Gjøvik Olympic Cavern Hall |
|
Short-Track Speed Skating |
| Hamar Olympic Hall Viking Ship |
|
Speed Skating |
| Hafjell Alpine Centre |
Hafjell Olympic Slope |
Alpine Skiing |
| Hafjell Freepark |
Freestyle Skiing, Snowboard, Freestyle/Snowboard |
Lysgårdsbakkene
Ski Jumping Arena |
Ski Jumping Hill |
Nordic Combined, Ski Jumping |
| Opening Ceremony Venue |
Opening Ceremony |
| Oslo Vinterpark Halfpipe |
|
Freestyle Skiing, Snowboard |
| Youth Olympic Village (YOV) – Lillehammer |
Residential Zone
|
Athletes’ Accommodation, NOC services |
| Håkons Hall |
Dining Hall, Learn & Share, recreational activities
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| Youth Olympic Village (YOV) - Hamar |
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Athletes’ Accommodation, Learn & Share, NOC services, recreational activities
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2) ACCREDITATION
To submit your request for accreditation, please click here.
The registration process for media accreditation is for rights-holding broadcasters, non-rights-holding broadcasters, written and photographic press, new media journalists and press attachés of International Federations and National Olympic Committees.
Upon approval, media representatives will receive a confirmation via e-mail. In the confirmation there will be a dedicated code that gives you access to book media accommodation (please see detailed information on accommodation below).
If you have already registered in the IOC media database for previous events, please ensure your profile is up-to-date. You will need to complete your personal information and ensure you have a recent photo with the correct passport details. You must have a passport that is valid for at least three months after the end of your visit. The passport must be issued within the last 10 years.
Media accreditation cards will be distributed at the Main Accreditation Centre (MAC), which will be located in the same building as at the Main Media Centre (MMC) in Lillehammer. It will not be possible to collect accreditation cards at Oslo Airport Gardermoen. Cards will be distributed only upon presentation of a valid passport or ID and press cards/proof of media affiliation.
Main Accreditation Centre opening hours:
1-7 February 10:00 – 18:00
8-14 February 08:00 – 21:00
15 – 22 February 08:00 – 20:00
Subject to change
3) VISAS AND IMMIGRATION
International media from countries which require a visa to enter Norway will have to apply for a visa. For a list of the countries with visa exemption agreements, please click here.
The Lillehammer Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (LYOGOC) will provide an invitation letter in order to assist with applications. Please note that Norway has signed the Schengen Agreement and is defined as a part of the Schengen Area.
As mentioned previously, members of the media will collect their accreditation at the Main Accreditation Centre “MAC” upon arrival in Lillehammer. Accreditations will therefore not be mailed to the media prior to the YOG, and as such, accreditations will not serve as a visa like at the Olympic Games.
4) MEDIA ACCOMMODATION
LYOGOC has allocated various accommodation properties (hotels, apartments and cabins) in various location, and in different price ranges to the media, which is visible in the booking portal under the Media category. The booking principle is based on “first come, first served”.
Given that accommodation is scarce in the Lillehammer area, please note that we recommend that you book rooms early. From now, 24 August, until 15 October, some rooms are being exclusively reserved for the media. From 1 November, all unreserved rooms in the booking portal will be available for everyone looking for accommodation under the “first come, first served” principle.
To book a room in the Media category, you will be asked to type an access code. You will this code in the confirmation email sent by the IOC after you have applied for accreditation.
The booking portal is http://booking.lillehammer2016.no, followed by the access code you will receive by email once your accreditation request has been validated. Please note that the media should book and pay for rooms via the booking portal directly. Each room rate is displayed in Norwegian Krone (NOK) and must be paid in NOK.
If you have any questions regarding accommodation, please contact LYOGOC directly:
5) TRANSPORT
For arrivals and departures, the media will be able to travel free on the regular direct train service between Oslo Airport Gardermoen, the main port of entry into Norway, and Lillehammer.
On arrival at Lillehammer or Hamar train station, the media can use the shuttle bus that stops at some of the designated hotels, or they can take a taxi to their accommodation if beyond walking distance.
There will be volunteers present at Oslo Airport Gardermoen and Lillehammer and Hamar train stations from 6 to 23 February to assist with any questions.
There will be no dedicated media transport network at the Youth Olympic Games. Instead media will be able to use the Games Transport Network, which is open to all groups including athletes, Olympic family, staff, etc. Public transport will also be free of charge for all accredited clients within the Lillehammer and Hamar region.
The Transport Mall is located adjacent to the Main Media Centre (MMC) and the Stampesletta Ice Venues. From here, there will be transport connections to all other sports venues. Be aware that the connection to Gjøvik is limited on non-competition days and that connections to Hamar venues include the train from Lillehammer to Hamar and an internal shuttle in Hamar.
7) MEDIA FACILITIES
Main Media Centre (MMC)
The Main Media Centre (MMC) is located in the local school, which is within walking distance from the Stampesletta Ice Venues, which will host ice hockey, curling and the Culture and Education activities.
The MMC is a part of the Mesna Service Centre, which will host the following areas in classrooms in the school:
- Main Media Centre (MMC)
- International Broadcast Centre (IBC)
- Main Accreditation Centre (MAC)
The MMC will also offer additional services such as technical infrastructure, lockers, extended operating hours, a help desk and a media rest area. As with the Innsbruck 2012 YOG, the MMC will operate more on the scale of a Venue Media Centre. The Youth Olympic Village Transport Mall - Lillehammer (YTL) will be located 250 metres from the MMC and provide transport connections to all venues.
The MMC will consist of 100 workstations fitted with power and cabled and Wi-Fi internet, which will be provided free of charge. Workplaces will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.Only accredited media will have access to these facilities.
Catering for media and other client groups will be available via a paid service nearby.
There will be a Service Desk at the main entrance to the Mesna Service Centre. The Service Desk will include the following:
- General assistance and local information
- Transport information
- Advice on filming in Norway
- Printing of start lists will be available upon request
The MMC will be managed by Isabella Rosenlund, the LYOGOC Media Manager.
Further information will be available in the Media Guide, which will be available electronically on http://lillehammer2016.com/ from November 2015
The MMC will be open daily between 07:00 and 23:00 from 6 to 22 February 2016.
Media Conference Room – Main Media Centre
Media conferences will take place in the MPC in the hybrid media workroom/ conference room. There will be no media conferences held at the venues, with the focus being on mixed-zone interviews.
Media Centres at YOG Venues
All sports venues – with the exception of ice hockey and curling at Kristins Hall – will have a dedicated Media Work Room (MWR). These will be small MWRs staffed by media volunteers with basic tea and coffee facilities. Internet access via Wi-Fi or a limited number of cabled internet ports will be available either in the MWR or in the media seating at certain venues.
MWRs will generally be open at the following times:
- On training days from one hour before the start of the training session until one hour after the training session (based on the Official Training Schedule)
- Indoor Venues - On competition days, from one hour before the start of competition until two hours after its completion
- Outdoor Venues - On competition days, from two hours before the start of competition until two hours after its completion
Mixed Zones at Venues
There will be Mixed-Zone facilities at all sports venues for the media to conduct interviews with athletes. These will be staffed by media volunteers.
Photo Positions and ENG Camera Positions at Venues
If member of the media require access to special facilities or areas within a venue, such as the Field of Play, supplementary access devices such as armbands will be required. These devices will be handed out by IOC Media Operations (photographers) and OBS (rights-holding broadcasters) at the MMC.
Media Access to the Youth Olympic Village (YOV)
The media will have the opportunity to visit the venue during Games time. The date and time for this will be communicated at a later stage. Outside this opportunity, you will not be able to access the residential zone, but the media will be able to go to the YOV square and follow the Learn & share activities with the athletes. There will be no sub media centre in the YOV.
IOC Offices
IOC Media Operations, IOC Media Relations and the IOC Young Reporters will also be located in adjoining rooms at the MMC.
8) YOUTH INFORMATION SERVICE (YIS)
The IOC and LYOGOC will provide the Youth Information Service (YIS), delivering a professional text and photographic sport editorial service of the competitions, the athletes, ceremonies, and the Learn & Share programme of the Lillehammer YOG.
The YIS coverage will include detailed sports reports on the competition, feature articles on the young and emerging athletes, and articles focusing on the different cultural and educational initiatives featured in the YOG.
The sports reports created by the YIS reporting team will be published on the official website of Lillehammer 2016 (http://lillehammer2016.com/), which will be the primary platform for Lillehammer YOG-related content during the Games. All YIS sports reports will be available licence free for republishing and editorial distribution by the media, International Federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and National Federations (NFs).
The YIS Photo team includes eight world-renowned sports photographers, including multi-award winning Sports Illustratedphotographers Bob Martin, Simon Bruty and Al Tielemans.
Images created by the YIS Photo team will accompany all YIS sports articles published on the Lillehammer website, which will also feature a near-live photo gallery, including a curated set of the “best of the day” images.
All images taken by the YIS Photo team will be made available “licence free” (free of charge) on a separate professional photographic platform.
The media, IFs, NOCs and NFs will be free to publish and redistribute the YIS images for editorial purposes on any platform.
Further information on how to access the images will be made available closer to the event.
Social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Weibo and Flipboard, will be a primary platform for YIS sports reports and photos.
The YIS coverage is aimed at distribution to a wide international audience, professional sports reporting, information and dynamic sports photography on the Youth Olympic Games.
9) TELEVISION NEWS HIGHLIGHTS AND VIDEO NEWS RELEASES
Television news highlights and video news releases will be available daily. Delivery details will be made available closer to the event.
10) IOC KEY CONTACTS
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The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit independent international organisation made up of volunteers, which is committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of USD 3.25 million goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world.
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