A young Wellington artist has won an International Olympic Committee competition to design the medals for the upcoming Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games.
20-year-old Zakea Page submitted his design called ‘Beauty in Diversity’ in early April and found out he’d won the competition last week.
As the winning designer Page will get to attend the Lausanne 2020 Games, including the Opening Ceremony, and witness first hand athletes being awarded medals featuring his design.
“It is inspired by Maya Angelou’s quote, ‘In diversity there is beauty’. This is fitting because the Youth Olympic Games are not only a celebration of human excellence, but also of culture and humanity,” said Page.
“The spiral represents a culture of respect, friendship and excellence as young athletes gather at the Youth Olympic Games to celebrate their success.
“The spiral also celebrates the journey of hard work and dedication made by each individual athlete.
“These journeys are specific to each athlete, but they all lead to the Youth Olympic Games, where the athletes will compete and showcase their abilities.”
Chosen from among close to 300 entries from 60 nations, the winning design was picked by a panel of judges made up of Young Change-Makers, Young Reporters, IOC Member Danka Bartekova, Lausanne 2020 President Virginie Faivre and ERACOM (Lausanne art school) Dean Viviane Morey.
NZOC CEO Kereyn Smith extended her congratulations to Page.
“This is the first time a New Zealander has designed a medal for an Olympic Games so we’re very proud of this young man’s achievements,” said Smith.
“The design beautifully encapsulates the spirit of the Youth Olympic Games and will look beautiful around the necks of all the medal winners.”
The Lausanne Winter Youth Olympic Games will run from January 9-22, 2020. The athletes will compete across the whole of Switzerland, as well as parts of neighbouring France, enabling many regions to be a part of the Olympic spirit.