<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Like the "senior" Olympic Winter Games, the Youth Olympic Games takes place every four years, and Lausanne 2020 is the third edition of the Youth version of the world's most important sporting event, after the Innsbruck 2012 and <em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Events/lillehammer-youth-olympic-games-2016" target="_blank">Lillehammer 2016</a></strong></em> competitions. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The YOG features athletes ranging in age from 14-18, and some of freestyle skiing and snowboarding's very best athletes have made their mark at past YOG competitions on their way to establishing themselves at the top of the international field. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">PyeongChang 2018 halfpipe gold medalist <em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Riders/chloe-kim" target="_blank">Chloe Kim</a></strong></em> (USA) was a double gold medalist at the Lillehammer 2016 YOG, taking top spot in both halfpipe and slopestlye, while her compatriot <em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Riders/jake-vedder" target="_blank">Jake Vedder </a></strong></em>earned SBX gold before taking the junior world championships title at Cardrona 2018, and earning his first World Cup podium in the 2018/19 season.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, on the ski side of things, Birk Irving (USA) also claimed halfpipe gold back in 2016, and has now asserted himself as one of the world's very best by opening this World Cup season in Cardrona with the second victory of his World Cup career. And, in the rough-and-tumble world of ski cross, Lillehammer 2016 men's SX gold medalist Reese Howden (CAN) has become one of the brightest young lights of the Audi FIS Ski Cross World Cup tour, putting down consistent top-10 results in 2018/19.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Any way you slice it, excitement is building for this January in Switzerland, where the next generation of ski and snowboard superstars will come together in for the biggest winter sports event of 2019/20.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Freeski and snowboard park & pipe programme:</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>Saturday, January 18</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;">09:30 - 15:00 - Women Freeski / Snowboard Slopestyle</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>Sunday, January 19</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;">09:30 - 15:00 - Men Freeski / Snowboard Slopestyle</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>Monday, January 20</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;">09:30 - 15:00 - Women / Men Freeski Halfpipe</div><div style="text-align: justify;">09:30 - 12:45 - Women / Men Snowboard Big Air Qualification</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>Tuesday, January 21</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;">09:30 - 15:00 - Women / Men Snowboard Halfpipe</div><div style="text-align: justify;">09:30 - 12:45 - Women / Men Freeski Big Air Qualification</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>Wednesday, January 22</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;">10:00 - 13:00 - Women / Men Freeski / Snowboard Big Air Finals</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Ski and snowboard cross programme:</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>Sunday, January 19</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;">11:00 - 14:30 - Women / Men Ski Cross</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>Monday, January 20</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;">11:00 - 14:30 - Women / Men Snowboard Cross</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>Tuesday, January 21</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;">11:00 - 12:45 - Ski-Snowboard Cross Mixed Team</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Check out: <em><strong><a href="https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/statistics.html?statistictype=positions&positionstype=position&offset=50&sectorcode=SB&seasoncode=&categorycode=YOG&gendercode=&competitornationcode=&place=&nationcode=&position=4&disciplinecode=PSL,PGS,SBX,HP,BA,SS,BXT,XT" target="_blank">Past YOG snowboard medalists</a></strong></em></div><p style="text-align: right;">Article by FIS (International Ski Federation)</p><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>About Lausanne 2020</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games will take place from 9 to 22 January 2020 with 1,880 athletes (15-18 years old) from more than 70 countries. The competitions will take place in the cantons of Vaud (Lausanne, La Vallée de Joux, <em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Spots/leysin-park" target="_blank">Leysin</a></strong></em>, les Diablerets, <em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Spots/villars-snowpark" target="_blank">Villars</a></strong></em>), Valais (Champéry), Grisons (St. Moritz) and neighbouring France (Les Rousses, Les Tuffes stadium). </div>