The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is delighted to reveal that Austrian Alpine ski racer and Olympic champion Benjamin Raich will be an Ambassador for the Innsbruck 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games, which will take place from 13 to 22 January 2012.

Raich, Olympic gold medallist in Slalom and Giant Slalom at the 2006 Turin Olympic Winter Games, is the second Winter Youth Olympic Games Ambassador following the announcement of Lindsey Vonn in April this year. The concept of having a Youth Olympic Games Ambassador was initiated last year at the inaugural Youth Olympic Summer Games in Singapore. Now, Raich and Vonn follow in the footsteps of Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Ambassadors Usain Bolt, Yelena Isinbayeva and Michael Phelps.

In addition to encouraging young people around the world to become more active in sport, both Raich and Vonn will also act as mentors and support the young athletes competing in Innsbruck as part of their roles as Ambassadors for the Innsbruck Youth Olympic Games.

Hailing from the Tirol, the region in which Innsbruck is located, Raich won the Junior World Championships in both Slalom and Giant Slalom. This experience of international competition at a young age will help Raich identify and connect with the athletes competing in Innsbruck.