POSTED: September 20th 2010
NewsUpdate
PyeongChang plays to its strengths in rush to IOC judgment for 2018
JOHN GOODBODY / Sports Features Communications
LONDON, Sept 20: How do you enthuse the members of the International Olympic Committee when you are bidding for the third successive time to stage an Olympics? That is the problem facing PyeongChang which was desperately unlucky not to get either the 2010 or 2014 Winter Games.
On both occasions, the South Korean city led after the first round of voting. In 2003, it was ahead of Vancouver by 51-40, only to lose. Then, against Sochi, it was defeated in the final ballot by four votes.
What made PyeongChang such a formidable candidate on those two occasions has not only remained but has been enhanced.
In the memories of many Olympic members and observers, the Seoul summer Games, which took place exactly 22 years ago this month, were a striking success of organisation as was the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Korea, therefore, can certainly organise.
Building projects
In the IOC’s official examination of the candidature file, PyeongChang did well in all 10 categories, including government support and transport. The city has continued building facilities since the last unsuccessful attempt in 2007.
There are two proposed main sporting centres for the Games, one in Gangneung, which is situated on the coast, primarily for the ice events, and those principally for ski-ing in the Alpensia cluster in the mountains, where $1.5bn has already been spent on facilities and housing.
The compactness of these two main clusters means that travelling time within those clusters is small, often only 10-15 minutes by foot.
The accessibility of PyeongChang to so many Asian people has meant that the city has increasingly become a centre for winter sports for the entire continent. In 2009, more than 1.5m people visited the country to enjoy them. And this figure will escalate should the city get the Games.
Yet, despite these advantages, PyeongChang has tried to ensure that its bid is not perceived as simply more of the same.
Corporate partner
Bid ceo Yang Ho Cho is also chairman of Korean Air, allowing him a particular insight into the business and commercial aspects of the Games. The airline is a corporate partner of PyeongChang and he will be looking to add more partners in the months to come.
Cho says: "We had great support for the previous bids but this time we have much more. Korean Air and other independent civil entities and individuals like me will support it to supply finance and organisation to make sure we can win the competition – that is the difference.
“We are introducing winter sports and co-operating with other nations for the expansion of winter sports across Asia. That is a good opportunity for the IOC and the Olympic Movement as a whole.”
Having been so narrowly beaten on two occasions, PyeongChang looks to be clear favourite for 2018 but its people know they cannot be complacent. The IOC is nothing if not unpredictable in its voting.
** JOHN GOODBODY covered the 2008 Olympics for The Sunday Times, his 11th successive Summer Games and is the author of the audio book A History of the Olympics, read by Barry Davies, the BBC commentator. He was Sports News Correspondent of The Times 1986-2007, for whom he received journalistic awards in all three decades on the paper, including Sports Reporter of The Year in 2001.
Keywords · PyeongChang 2018 · Yang Ho Cho · Korean Air ·
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