Evolution of collaborative Olympic legacy governance: PyeongChang 2018 to Gangwon 2024

Research question This study explored how an Olympic legacy governance system evolved during the transition from the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics to the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games.Research methods Employing an embedded case study approach, this study conducted 29 interviews with key stakeholders supplemented with archival materials, and fieldwork.Results and Findings The findings reveal key system contexts shaping the legacy governance system across three phases: (1) Activation, (2) Collectivity, and (3) Semi-Institutionalization. Additionally, major challenges, opportunities, and factors that influenced the evolution of legacy governance are presented.Implications This longitudinal research advances the collaborative governance and event legacy literature by demonstrating that legacy governance evolves through dynamic and uneven governance phases rather than a linear event-cycle. The findings also extend collaborative governance evolution frameworks by identifying semi-institutionalization as an intermediate governance form. Practical insights on fostering long-term sustainable legacy governance outcomes under changing environmental conditions are offered.