Could it be third time lucky? After losing its bid for the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympic Games, the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) approved Thursday PyeongChang’s bid for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
The 43 executive commissioners and sports representatives voted and 30 supported the city’s 2018 Winter Olympic bid.
The KOC completed a two-day inspection of PyeongChang April 6 and 7, and the evaluation committee reported that the city is well prepared to host the Games.
Gangwon province where PyeongChang is situated, has hosted the world champions of snowboard, the biathlon and women’s curling. The International Paralympic Committee Alpine Skiing World Champions are next.
But now the city of Busan South Korea, that was hoping to host the Summer Olympics, has some concern.
Busan International Sports Host and Planning Division director Sung Dug-ju congratulated PyeongChang, saying “it was not easy to leap over the wall of PyeongChang”. He told The Korea Times Thursday, “however, we will challenge again if PyeongChang fails to host the Winter Games”. He added, “I am disappointed with the decision. We worked overtime this month, I feel empty”.
Kim Jin Sun, governor of Gangwon province said, “PyeongChang will make sure it wins this time” reports the Yonhap news agency.
He told journalists, “I appreciate the KOC’s decision. We expect the government and the people to throw their weight behind us so that we will certainly win the bid this time”.
New courses for ski jumping, cross-country events and the biathlon were completed in PyeongChang this year at a cost of 85.3 billion won, with a view to hosting the 2018 Games, he said.
He added that seven out of the 13 necessary sites are now in place and the remaining six will be built if the city wins.
The 2018 host city will be announced in Durban South Africa in July 2011.
