PyeongChang pledges $500 mil. for winter sports

By Yoon Chul

The PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games Bid Committee launched a $500 million program for the promotion of winter sports Thursday.

The commitment was announced during the SportAccord 2011 International Convention in London.

During the 20-minute official presentation to the international sporting federations, Korea’s Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chung Byoung-gug said that the new investment, part of the “Drive the Dream” program, will be used to improve and build new winter sports facilities and training centers in Korea from 2012 to 2018.

The ambitious project will help nurture athletes, coaches and provide funds to teach winter sports in schools to ensure that they become more accessible in Korea.

Korean figure star Kim Yu-na was originally expected to be with the bid team but stayed in Korea to practice for the upcoming rescheduled World Figure Skating Championships. She did participate in the presentation through video.

“For me, as a figure skater, it is very exciting to imagine new generations of Korean and Asian athletes excelling in all winter sports, thanks to the future venues in our Winter Games plan. PyeongChang 2018 will inject fresh air into the Olympic and Paralympic dreams of millions of youth – just like me – in new areas of the world,” Kim said in a video message.

Kim also said that she was a beneficiary of the “Drive the Dream” program.

The first edition of ‘Drive the Dream’ was launched in 2007 and it helped Korea achieve its best medal tally at a Winter Games with 14 medals in Vancouver in 2010.

Cho Yang-ho, chairman and CEO of the PyeongChang bid committee, underlined the vision and the need to endorse the Winter Games in Asia to spread the Olympic movement with the slogan “New Horizon.”

“PyeongChang 2018’s vision is clear – we want to help promote the Olympic movement and promote winter sports to new regions of the world, to leave a legacy seen never before,” Cho said.

“We want to give 650 million young people in new markets the opportunity and the access to enjoy winter sports. We want to increase and diversify the financial support for various international federations and sport through new investments in additional regions. PyeongChang 2018 is an inspiring story for the Olympic movement – building upon the lessons of the past, but looking forward to new horizons.”

Another presenter Theresa Rah said PyeongChang is preparing to present improved conditions for the Winter Games with the bullet train and the “Best of Korea” project cited as examples.

A bullet train will link Incheon International Airport and Seoul to the Alpensia Cluster – the main area of the Olympic village. From the airport it will takes 68 minutes and from Seoul, only 50.

The “Best of Korea” is a campaign aimed to advertise representative restaurants, performance stages, shopping malls and other amenities for visitors to enjoy in PyeongChang.

The bid committee and 123 brands from 39 companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) toward that end.

With these plans visitors won’t have to worry about being bored in the Olympic village in 2018.

PyeongChang is making its third bid to host the Winter Games, competing with Munich of Germany and Annecy of France.

The bid cities will make presentations on technical issues to IOC members in Lausanne on May 18 and 19.

The host will be decided at the IOC General Assembly on July 6 in Durban, South Africa.