Friday 14 March 2014

Five bid cities submit Application Files to host 2022 Olympic Winter Games

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Five bid cities submit Application Files to host 2022 Olympic Winter Games

Five bid cities submit Application Files to host 2022 Olympic Winter Games
14/03/2014
The Applicant Cities of Krakow (Poland), Oslo (Norway), Almaty (Kazakhstan), Lviv (Ukraine) and Beijing (China)* all met the 14 March 2014 deadline for submission to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of their Application Files to host the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
The Application Files provide the IOC with an overview of each city’s vision and concept for the Games and form the basis for an initial technical analysis of the bid. It is the principal deliverable of Phase 1 of the bidding procedure.
These files will now be studied by an IOC-appointed working group, which will then submit a report to the IOC Executive Board (EB). The EB will decide which of the five cities will be accepted as Candidate Cities and proceed to Phase 2 at a meeting in July. Following its decision, the working group’s report will be published on the IOC website.
Applicant Cities may make their Application Files public and post them on their web sites as of 15 March.
As the Olympic Games are a unique project, whose size, scope and complexity mean that they are typically the biggest event that cities looking to host the Games will ever undertake, the IOC assists them in a number of ways, including financially and through an extensive transfer of knowledge programme.
The IOC puts at the disposal of the bid cities a significant amount of information and expertise through its Olympic Games Knowledge Management (OGKM) platform, which takes the form of documentation, experts, workshops and personal observation of previous Games. All five Applicant Cities for the 2022 Olympic Games participated in the Sochi 2014 observer programme last month. The programme allows cities to learn the best practices of previous hosts and to adapt those lessons to their own unique context. 
Once elected, the IOC continues to support the local organising committees through OGKM, as well as with the regular visits of its Coordination Commissions and experts, who help to guide the organisers, as they develop their Games project. All IOC-related costs (for accommodation, transport, etc.) are covered entirely by the IOC, as is the case during the Games themselves.  
The IOC makes a significant financial contribution to the organisation of each edition of the Games, where the budgets of Organising Committees for the Olympic Games are generally privately financed. For example, the IOC and its Worldwide Olympic Partners are expected to contribute around USD 590 million in total to the budget for the organisation of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. To reduce the financial burden on the local organisers further, the IOC also assumes the responsibility and cost of the principal Olympic broadcast signal through its fully owned subsidiary Olympic Broadcasting Services SA (OBS). In Sochi this is expected to exceed USD 150 million.
Applicant Cities who move on to the Candidate City Phase of the bid process have until January 2015 to submit their Candidature Files – in-depth blueprints of the cities’ Olympic projects. The IOC President will then appoint an Evaluation Commission made up of IOC members (who are volunteers) and experts to visit each Candidate City and prepare a technical risk assessment to assist IOC members in electing the host city. This report will be made available to all IOC members ahead of a two-day briefing that provides the members with the opportunity to question the cities directly about their Olympic projects.
In line with the IOC’s commitment to transparency, all documents pertaining to the 2022 bid process are available to the public on www.olympic.org.
Key Dates:
Phase 1:
  • Selection of Candidate Cities by the IOC Executive Board – 7-9 July 2014
Phase 2:
  • Submission of the Candidature File & Guarantees – 7 January 2015
  • IOC Evaluation Commission visits – February to March 2015
  • Evaluation Commission report / Candidate City Briefing for IOC Members – May to June 2015 (TBC)
  • Election of the 2022 host city by the IOC Session – Kuala Lumpur – 31 July 2015
* The cities are listed according to a drawing of lots carried out by the IOC EB in December 2013.
Note to editors:
The two bid phases (Applicant and Candidate) were introduced by the IOC in 2000 to ensure that cities insufficiently prepared or considered not to have the potential to successfully organise the Olympic Games in the year in question, did not proceed to the second phase of bidding, thus ensuring significant cost savings to both the bid cities and the IOC.
As part of its mission to continually monitor and improve the bid process, and following recommendations arising out of debrief meetings with previous bid cities, the IOC recently brought forward some technical matters and questions regarding existing conditions that would not change between the two phases from the Candidate City questionnaire to the Applicant City questionnaire. Phase 2 has thus become a logical continuation of Phase 1, rather than a new start.
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For all other questions, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000 e-mail:
pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit our web site at www.olympic.org.
VideosYouTube: www.youtube.com/iocmedia 
PhotosFor an extensive selection of photos available shortly after each event, please follow us on Flickr.
To request archive photos and footage, please contact our Images team at:
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2014 IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury & Illness in Sport - Information for the Media

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

2014 IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury & Illness in Sport - Information for the Media

2014 IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury & Illness in Sport - Information for the Media
13/03/2014
The IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury and Illness in Sport will be held from 10 to 12 April 2014 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Bringing together team physicians and medical science and sports experts from across the world, the Conference will explore risk factors, mechanisms and effective prevention strategies to ensure that athletes remain fit and healthy in and out of competition.
With over 120 international sports and medical experts lined up as speakers, the three-day Conference will feature: 
· Five keynote lectures, including a debate on whether sport injury and illness research has delivered concrete results, the role of evidence-based concussion prevention, and the evolution of footwear and sports equipment in improving performance and reducing injuries;
· 24 symposia addressing a range of topics from prevention of heart-related problems in athletes to the exploration of innovative field-based injury screening;
· 86 workshops; and
· 73 abstract presentations.
Using a multidisciplinary approach, the objective of the Conference is to transfer academic knowledge on injury- and illness-prevention strategies to the field of play in order to minimise the risk factors in sports participation and maximise safety for high-level and recreational athletes alike.  
One of many highlights promises to be the opening lecture by the dynamic pairing of Prof. Dohmnall Macauley and Prof. Karim Khan, editors of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM). Other keynote speakers include Paul McCrory (on concussions), Benno Nigg (on running injuries), Evert Verhagen (on how digital and mobile platforms will influence athlete care), Andrew McIntosh (on technology and equipment in sport), Juan Manuel Alonso (on hamstring injury prevention) and Caroline Finch (on injury surveillance and rule changes).
Please click here for the full programme and list of keynote speakers, and note that all times are subject to change. All sessions will be open to the media.
Accreditation
There is no registration fee for media wishing to cover the event. To request your media accreditation for the 2014 IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury & Illness in Sport, please contact:
Mrs Denise Davidedenise.davide@publicreations.com
Direct: +377 97 97 36 00
Fax: +377 97 97 35 50

Venue
The three-day event will take place at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco:
10, Avenue Princesse Grace
98000 Monaco

For further information about the venue, please click here.  
Accommodation
Media are requested to make their own booking. Please click here to view the list of hotels.
For further information regarding this Conference, please consult the Conference website at: www.ioc-preventionconference.org
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For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000, email:
pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit our website at www.olympic.org.
Videos
YouTube: www.youtube.com/iocmedia
Photos
For an extensive selection of photos available shortly after each event, please follow us on Flickr.
To request archive photos and footage, please contact our Images team at:
images@olympic.org.
Social media
For up-to-the-minute information on the IOC and regular updates, please follow us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Sunday 9 March 2014

Women’s ice hockey: Canada retain title as Swiss claim historic bronze

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Women’s ice hockey: Canada retain title as Swiss claim historic bronze

Women’s ice hockey: Canada retain title as Swiss claim historic bronze
©Getty Images (7)
07/03/2014
Just as they did in the Vancouver 2010 final, Canada and USA faced off for the gold medal, with the Canadians prevailing again in a thrilling final which was decided by Marie-Philip Poulin’s extra-time winner. Meanwhile, in the battle for the bronze, Switzerland beat Sweden 4-3 to claim a place on the podium for the first time in their history.
8-13 February: Group stages
Eight teams were split into two groups for the initial round-robin phase. The top four teams in the current IHF rankings - Canada, USA, Finland and Switzerland were thrown together in Group A - with the top two in the final standings earning direct passage to the semi-finals, and the other two teams going into a quarter-final play-off.
Group B brought together the next four teams in the IHF rankings – Sweden,  Germany, Russia and Japan, with the top two joining the bottom two from Group A in the quarter-final play-offs, while the other two teams awaited the play-off losers to determine their final position in the overall standings.
Canada and USA each won both of their first two games convincingly, with the Americans beating Finland 3-1 and Switzerland 9-0, while Canada recorded 5-0 and 3-0 wins against the same opponents. That left the two neighbours going head to head on 12 February to decide who topped Group A and went into the semi-finals as first seeds. Canada got the better of a five-goal thriller, prevailing 3-2, just as they had in the Vancouver 2010 final. Meanwhile, Finland defeated the Swiss 4-3 to finish third in the group and top the seedings for the play-offs.
In Group B, host team Russia won all three of their games (4-1 versus Germany, 2-1 versus Japan and 3-1 versus Sweden, to top the standings, while Sweden saw off Germany (4-0) and Japan (1-0) to join them in the quarter-final play-offs. Germany defeated Japan 4-0 to finish third.
That meant that Finland would face Sweden in the quarter-final play-offs, with Russia taking on the Swiss.

 15 February: Quarter-final play-offs
The Swiss kept their cool in a charged Shayba Arena to dispatch the host team 2-0 and set up a semi-final encounter with reigning champions Canada. Stefanie Marty opened the scoring in the 11th minute of the first period, after which the Swiss then withstood a sustained period of pressure from the Russians in the second and third periods, with goaltender Florence Schelling stopping an incredible 41 shots. They then delivered the killer blow in the dying seconds as Lara Stadler scored on the counter-attack to seal the victory.
In the other quarter-final, Sweden edged a ding-dong encounter against Finland, which started quietly but came to life in the second period. Venia Hovi had opened the scoring for the Finns in the 34th minute, before Anna Borgqvist equalised five minutes later. Her team-mate Lina Wester then put Sweden in front, before Emma Nuutinen restored parity again. However, with extra time beckoning, the Swedes finished stronger as first Emma Eliasson and then Emma Nordin found the net in the last five minutes of the third period to secure a 4-2 victory and a semi-final showdown with the USA.

17 February: Semi-finals
In the semi-finals,the USA overpowered Sweden 6-1, while Canada defeated Switzerland 3-1 to set up a reprise of the 2010 final at the Bolshoi Ice Dome on 20 February.
The USA’s Alex Carpenter and Kacey Bellamy scored just 66 seconds apart in the first period as the United States crushed Sweden at the Shayba Arena.
The Americans dominated the semi-final from the opening faceoff, holding a whopping 29-1 shot advantage in the first period, with Sweden failing to even muster their first shot on goal until nearly 14 minutes into the contest.
Amanda Kessel, Megan Bozek, Brianna Decker and Monique Lamoureux also scored for the Americans, who have now beaten Sweden 12 out of the past 13 times they have faced each other in major international games.
“It's awesome,” said American forward Lamoureux. “I think it's something we were expected to do. We've been preparing for it for the last four years and putting in a lot of work.”
Jessie Vetter had to make just eight saves for the USA, while Swedish goaltenders Valentina Wallner and Kim Martin Hasson faced 70 shots between them.
Valentina was especially busy as she endured a 32 minute spell in which the USA peppered her with 47 shots.
“It is surreal. I don't think I am going to realise I was here until the Olympics are over,” said Canadian forward Natalie Spooner, who scored a double in her sides win against the Swiss.
“We are going for gold and that is the game we want to be in,” she added.
The two North American teams have been the main powerhouses ever since women's ice hockey was included on the programme for the Winter Games at Nagano 1998.

18 February: Classification matches
In the matches to decide the lower order in the final rankings Finland defeated hosts Russia 4-0 in the fifth-place game, while Germany got the better of Japan in a 3-2 victory that gave them seventh spot.
Noora Raty and Michelle Karvinen were the heroes for Finland, as they racked up a convincing 4-0 victory over the host team. 
Making her final appearance on the Olympic stage, goaltender Raty stopped 18 shots for the shut-out, while Karvinen scored a quick-fire double within the space of 61 seconds in the third period. Linda Valimaki and Rikka Valila grabbed Finland’s other goals.
Meanwhile, Susann Gotz notched a goal and an assist to spearhead Germany to a 3-2 victory over Japan, which means the European side claim seventh place in the final standings.
Goaltender Viona Harrer made 27 saves for Germany, who had already defeated Japan at Sochi 2014 during the group phase.
Haruna Yoneyama and Hanae Kubo scored the consolation goals for Japan, whose women were appearing at an Olympic ice hockey tournament for just the second time in their history, having previously received an automatic berth as the host nation at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano.

20 February: Bronze medal match
Switzerland pulled off a dramatic turnaround to beat Sweden 4-3 and win the bronze.
It was a first ever medal for the Swiss since women’s ice hockey was introduced onto the Winter Games programme at Nagano 1998. 
That had scarcely looked possible in a first period where the Swiss managed just a single shot on the Swedish goal, and the Swedes looked comfortable after taking the lead through Michelle Lowenhielm. 
Towards the end of the second period, Sweden then doubled their advantage, after an error from Swiss goaltender Florence Schelling enabled Uden Johansson to find the net.

It looked to be Sweden’s game. But all that changed in the third period as, within the space of a 13-minute spell, the Swiss players suddenly discovered a new lease of life and the route to goal. 
On 41 minutes, Sara Benz cut the deficit to one; then four minutes later Phoebe Stanz took advantage of a power play to equalise, before Jessica Lutz put the Swiss 3-2 up in the 53rd minute. 
The Swedes were left stunned, and it soon got worse for them as 15-year old Alina Müller increased Switzerland’s lead, firing the puck into an empty net two minutes before the final buzzer.
Pernilla Winberg managed to pull one back 43 seconds from time, sparking a final goalmouth frenzy, but the Swiss did enough to hold on, as their players embraced to celebrate a historic victory.

20 February: Gold medal match
Marie-Philip Poulin was Canada’s heroine in the women’s ice hockey gold medal match, as the defending champions overturned a 2-0 deficit to clinch a 3-2 victory at the Bolshoi Ice Dome. 
The forward scored an equaliser 54 seconds from time, before grabbing a golden goal winner in one of the most dramatic climaxes ever witnessed in an Olympic final.
Canada had trailed 2-0 late in the third and appeared to be heading to defeat before coming to life to score two goals just 2:42 apart to send the game into extra time.
After Brianne Jenner had pulled one back to give Canada hope, Poulin conjured an equaliser with just seconds left on the clock.
After Canadian defenceman Rebecca Johnston backhanded the puck towards the net, US goaltender Jesse Vetter knocked it directly onto the stick of Poulin, who reacted quickly to fire home and force overtime.
Poulin's golden winner came on a power play after US forward Hilary Knight had been sent to the penalty box. Taking a pass from Laura Fortino, she slid a snapshot under Vetter and into the net.
It sparked wild celebrations as she was mobbed by her team-mates, who celebrated Canada's fourth Olympic women's title and, remarkably, a 20th straight victory at the Winter Games in an unbeaten streak that stretches back to 2002.

Celebrating inspirational role models on International Women’s Day!

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Celebrating inspirational role models on International Women’s Day!

07/03/2014
On International Women’s Day, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) celebrates extraordinary men and women who have acted as inspirational role models on and off the field of play, and contributed to the advancement of women in, and through, sport.
Female power in Sochi
Last month in Sochi, more than 40 per cent of Olympians were female athletes, and a number of National Olympic Committees (NOCs), such as Australia, Japan, China and Ukraine, included more women than men in their delegations. There were also many firsts for female athletes competing at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, with the inclusion of new events such as women’s ski jumping, ski halfpipe, or ski and snowboard slopestyle.
From a new generation of young girls to Olympic mums, veterans and retired athletes, women in Sochibroke records, made history and imposed themselves in their sporting disciplines, in their countries, but also in sports administration. Canadian ice hockey player Hayley Wickenheiser became the 24th female member of the IOC, out of 107 active members. Elected to the IOC's Athletes’ Commission for a term of approximately eight years, the sportswoman joins former Olympic fencer and IOC Executive Board member Claudia Bokel, who was re-elected as Chair of the Commission, and retired ice hockey player Angela Ruggiero, who was elected as Vice-Chair. 
Since September last year, and for the first time in the Olympic Movement, four women have been members of the 15-person-strong IOC Executive Board, contributing directly to all policies on which the IOC is working.
IOC Women and Sport Awards
International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate the courage and determination of people who play an extraordinary role in the history of women and girls; and it is an opportunity to laud the progress that women and girls have made., For the IOC, it is also an occasion to recognise the importance of partnership, and the exceptional sports figures, decision-makers or organisations which continue to actively promote gender equality and women’s participation in sport.
The annual IOC Women and Sport Awards – comprising five continental trophies and one world trophy - pay tribute to those who work to further the cause and inclusion of women and girls at all levels of the sporting world. Around 40 strong candidatures will be analysed by an IOC jury for the 2014 IOC Women and Sport Awards.
Since 2013, the winners of the IOC Women and Sport Awards have received a financial donation to support them in the development of their work in the field of gender equality.
“As the recipient of the 2013 IOC Women and Sport Award for the Americas, the IOC funding is allowing me to host gatherings of women leaders in sport in eight major U.S. cities over six months, which will culminate in the creation of a ‘Stay in the Games’ campaign to attract current female athletes to consider a career in sport,” stated Marlene Bjornsurd. 
Ona Baboniene, who received last year’s IOC Trophy for Europe, added that this IOC initiative has helped her team “start a new women’s leadership project entitled Let’s start the change! sharing best practices and examples of female leaders in sports organisations.”
IOC-UN Cooperation
The IOC, working in close collaboration with the United Nations, International Sports Federations and NOCs, is committed to promoting and achieving gender equality. Anita De Frantz, Chairwomen of the IOC Women and Sport Commission and IOC member, will speak next week at the UN’s 58th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women on the role of sport as a powerful tool in defying gender stereotypes, promoting equal opportunities and empowering girls and women across the world.

Thursday 6 March 2014

Social-icing: Davis and White share their Sochi adventure on the Athletes’ Hub

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Social-icing: Davis and White share their Sochi adventure on the Athletes’ Hub

Social-icing: Davis and White share their Sochi adventure on the Athletes’ Hub
©Getty Images & Meryl Davis - Charlie White (15)
05/03/2014
On 17 February 2014 at the Iceberg Skating Palace, Meryl Davis and Charlie White became the first ever American ice dancers to claim Olympic gold. During their Sochi adventure, they regularly shared their experiences with fans via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. On the IOC’s “Olympic Athletes’ Hub, which aggregates Olympians’ social media updates on a single platform, provided the ideal way to follow the charismatic pair’s exciting exploits from start to finish. Here we take a glance back at the moments that the two ice dancers chose to share with the world before, during and after Sochi.
Meryl Davis and Charlie White’s online Olympic narrative began on New Year’s Eve 2013, when they posted a picture of themselves with their mothers, as part of the “Thank you Mom” series produced by IOC Partner Procter & Gamble.


Davis shares a picture of herself enjoying a 27th birthday brunch via Instagram.

White shares his joy at winning the US Figure Skating Championships in Boston to their place at Sochi 2014...

 …while Davis thanks the fans who cheered them to victory.


White and Davis enjoy being interviewed by one of their idols, Michelle Kwan.

A photo montage of US Olympic team members courtesy of Davis via Instagram. 

10 days to go: Both skaters remind their Facebook friends that the Sochi 2014 countdown clock is ticking and the excitement is mounting.


Mum’s the word: Mrs White and Mrs Davis

“To Russia with Love” – a James Bond-inspired picture, as the couple prepare to head for Sochi. Both dancers share their images from the inaugural Olympic team event via Instagram.


The pair get used to their new surroundings, with the Black Sea in the background.


Posing with the other members of the USA figure skating team who won bronze in the team event at Sochi 2014.


Olympic champions: the couple share they exhilaration after winning ice dance gold in Sochi.”


Stars of snow and ice: The couple share a golden moment with fellow Olympic champion, Alpine skier Ted Ligety, who won giant slalom gold in Sochi.


Goodbye Sochi: White bids Russia a fond farewell.


Be sure to follow lives and careers of Davis and White post-Sochi 2014 by staying tuned to theOlympic Athletes’ Hub.

Saturday 1 March 2014

Attention turns to Sochi 2014 legacies

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Attention turns to Sochi 2014 legacies

Attention turns to Sochi 2014 legacies
©Getty Images
26/02/2014
Following the conclusion of Sochi 2014, attention has now turned to the long-term legacies that the Winter Games have created, with the benefits set to be felt far beyond the host city.
The preparations and development needed to stage the Games have already seen many positive changes in the Krasnodar Region and in Russia as a whole.
In addition to the modern sports venues that have been built, upgrades have also been made to transport, engineering and telecommunication infrastructures across the city and the wider region.
In total, more than 367km of roads and bridges, 200km of railway and 690km of utilities were built ahead of the Games, while 40 new hotels were also constructed and 15 were re-modelled, with a total capacity of 26,000 rooms.
These developments have helped transform Sochi into a year-round tourism destination, with an increased number of overseas visitors already noticeable today. In the 2013 winter holiday season, for instance, overseas visitors increased by 13% compared to the previous year, totalling 500,000 people.
Many of the Sochi 2014 sport venues will also provide a tourism boost for the region, with the Rosa Khutor Alpine Centre, the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park and the Laura Cross-Country Ski and Biathlon Centre all set to be turned into resort destinations, while also being used as elite level training and competition facilities.


Other venues will also provide lasting legacies, with the Fisht Olympic Stadium set to be used as a training centre for the Russian national football team, while also hosting matches during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, as well as concerts and various other sporting and entertainment events.


The Bolshoi Ice Dome, meanwhile, will be transformed into a multifunctional sports centre capable of hosting national and international competitions in ice hockey, figure skating and short track speed skating, while the Sanki Sliding Centre and the RusSki Gorki Ski Jumping Centre will both be used for competitions and training.
Elsewhere in the Olympic Park, the Iceberg Skating Palace and Ice Cube Curling Centre will both serve as sports and entertainment complexes, the Adler Arena will be converted into an international exhibition space and the Shayba Arena will become a national children's health and leisure centre.

Other legacies of the Games include the development of a "green construction" industry in Russia, involving the use of ecological building materials and renewable energy sources, reduction, reuse and recycling of waste, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and an efficient use of water and energy.
The Games also set new “barrier free” standards for urban planning and construction in Russia, with all of the sports venues and infrastructure built with the needs of disabled people in mind.
 
Another important element of the legacy of the Games in Sochi has been the creation of the volunteer movement in Russia.In 14 regions of Russia, 26 volunteer centers where created to select and train volunteers for the Games. By the end of 2012, around 2,800 projects involving the Sochi 2014 volunteers had been successfully implemented across the country, while Russia has also risen to eighth place in the World Giving Index 2012, which measures the number of people involved in voluntary work.

“The Olympic legacy is one of the main reasons we chose to host the Games,” says Dmitry Chernyshenko, President of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee. “In the course of several years, we have seen enormous changes in the region which would have taken decades without the Olympic Games. The best practices that have been developed in Sochi will be spread across the whole of Russia and I am confident that the elements of the Sochi 2014 legacy will serve many generations of Russians." 

Hello, PyeongChang!

KALYAN KUMAR MAHATA The true appellation of Apu.

Hello, PyeongChang!

Hello, PyeongChang!
©Getty Images (3)
24/02/2014
On 6 July 2011 in Durban, South Africa, during the 123rd Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the city of PyeongChang in the Republic of Korea was chosen as Host City of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games, ahead of bids from Munich (GER) and Annecy (FRA).
The PyeongChang 2018 Games, which will take place from 9-25 February 2018, will be the third to be staged in Asia, and the first ever in the Republic of Korea, following Nagano (JPN) in 1998 and Sapporo(JPN) in 1972.
The vision presented for PyeongChang 2018 focused on opening new horizons for the Olympic Movement and the world of winter sports, in order to engage previously untapped audiences in Asia.
From a logistical point of view, the concept for the 2018 Winter Games is one of the most compact ever seen.
Not unlike the schema for Sochi 2014, the vision for PyeongChang is based on a compact geographical area, split between a coastal and a mountain cluster. The coastal cluster, centred around the town of Gangneung on the Republic of Korea’s eastern seaboard, will provide the setting for the events on ice (speed skatingfigure skatingshort trackice hockey and curling), with the main Olympic Village complex and mountain cluster (comprising the skiing and snowboarding courses and the bobsleigh,luge and skeleton track) located only a 30 minute car journey away.
The mountain cluster will comprise eight facilities – six of which are already established - including the ski resort of Yongpyong. Nearby, the Bokwang Phoenix Park, already a favourite location for Korean freestyle aficionados, will provide the ideal stage for the snowboard and ski freestyle events.
State-of-the-art facilities designed especially for the 2018 Winter Games will further enhance existing infrastructure, to ensure that the world’s best winter athletes are provided with every possible opportunity to deliver their optimum performances.
Blessed with a prime geographical position within Asia, and benefitting from a youthful population and a vibrant and rapidly growing economy, PyeongChang looks set to bring the Winter Games to a whole new audience and a whole new generation of aspiring Winter athletes in 2018.