The British Olympic Association (BOA) has today announced Elaine Skilton as Chef de Mission for the Vuokatti 2021 Winter European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF).
Skilton, who is currently a Sport Engagement Manager at the BOA, will lead a Team GB delegation in Finland from the 7-12 February next year as Vuokatti hosts the 15th winter edition of the EYOF.
The town in the northernmost part of the Finnish Lakeland, Vuokatti will welcome athletes from 50 European countries for six days of action across nine Olympic sports: alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, short track speed skating, ski jumping and snowboarding.
Vuokatti 2021 will represent the second time the town has hosted the event, having previously held it in 2001.
Skilton, who joined the BOA in 2018, has previously been Chef de Mission at the Baku 2019 EYOF and Deputy Chef de Mission at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games. She has also held key performance positions at the Rio 2016 and PyeongChang 2018 Games as well as next year at Tokyo 2020.
“Youth Olympic Festivals are a fantastic development opportunity for young athletes, providing our nation’s best with experience in international competition and the environment of a multi-sport event,” said Skilton.
“It is a privilege to be asked to be Chef de Mission and to lead Team GB’s delegation for this Olympic Winter Festival in Finland. I look forward to working with our winter sports to ensure we provide every team member the opportunity to perform to their potential and to learn from and enjoy the event.”