POSTED: December 21st 2010
NewsUpdate
Gangwon residents celebrate 200 days to the 2018 Olympics vote
LAURA WALDEN / Sports Features Communications
TAMPA/PYEONGCHANG, Dec 21: Residents of the Gangwon Province turned out in droves this past weekend to support the campaign marking the 200 day countdown till the final vote for the 2018 winter Olympics bid.
PyeongChang citizens turned out to decorate the streets of the Alpensia report area with colorful placards relaying messages of support to bring the Olympics to the Korean alpine region. Hosting the winter Games would be a first for Korea and give a significant boost to the Asian winter sports market.
The Alpensia area will be the focal point of the bid plan housing the Olympic Village and several competition venues.
Supporters last weekend also organized a mountain climbing adventure to Hallasan, the southernmost mountain of Korea, to commemorate support behind the bid at the 200 day mark. The Hallasan expedition follows a climb that was organized on Taebaeksan, a sacred peak in the Taebaek Mountain Range in PyeongChang, that took place last September 2010.
Another trip is planned to celebrate 100 days out from the vote in 2011 with a symbolic climb up Baekdusan, a mountain in the northernmost mountain peak of the Korean peninsula.
Bid chair, Yang Ho Cho, said, “Over 91% of the South Korean population endorses the PyeongChang bid and this unwavering support inspires us to keep our promises to the IOC and deliver on our commitments. The IOC Evaluation Commission visit in January will provide the perfect opportunity to show the Olympic Family how committed the region is to hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2018, and the PyeongChang Bid Committee is delighted to welcome this continued national support.
“With 100% of the land secured for the proposed 2018 Winter Games venues and the World Curling Federation last week approving our proposed facility for the Curling competition, we believe PyeongChang can host a truly outstanding Winter Games for athletes, winter sports fans and the Olympic Family.”
The Gangwon Province is planning two annual winter cultural celebrations coming up in February 2011 - the Daegwallyeong Snow Festival and PyeongChang Trout Festival.
This year the festive atmosphere will welcome tourists from
all over Korea
and many neighboring Asian countries. This
year the excitement will be high for the festivals with special entertainment programmes
such as a snow sculpture contest and widespread public support for the Regional
bid.
PyeongChang is in the 2018 bid race against Munich and Annecy to host the winter Games. The final decision will be voted in July at the IOC session in Durban.
Keywords · PyeongChang 2018 · Gangwon Province · Yang Ho Cho · Daegwallyeong Snow Festival · PyeongChang Trout Festival
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Laura Walden ()
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