POSTED: Monday August 30th 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

5,000 marathon runners join to show support for PyeongChang 2018

Olympic Park in Seoul was the venue for the marathon to support disable athletes.

PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA, 30 August 2010: 5,000 athletes gathered on Saturday 28 August 2010 at the Olympic Park in Seoul to show their support for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Bid and to take part in the 2010 Hope Marathon.

Approximately 2,000 athletes with a disability joined able-bodied participants as well as 30 Olympic medallists to take part in the event which was organised by a charity for disability athletes. The marathon was followed by a variety of concerts and performances.

Amongst the Olympians to take part in the event was Lee-Kyung Chun, Short Track Speed Skating Gold medallist at the 1994 and 1998 Olympic Games, and member of the PyeongChang 2018 Athletes Committee. Lee-Kyung was also joined by her fellow athlete Youngjo Hwang, Gold medallist in the Men's marathon at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

Youngjo Hwang, President of the Hope Marathon Organising Committee and PyeongChang 2018 ambassador, said; "It is an honour to be here today to see athletes of all ages and abilities unite in support of the PyeongChang 2018 bid. This demonstrates the support that the community has for the PyeongChang bid and we hope today has illustrated joy that sport can create as well its ability to inspire people throughout the region."

-ENDS-

Note to Editors:

Please find attached to this press release an image from this weekend's marathon. The image features PyeongChang 2018 ambassador Youngjo Hwang (centre, holding the blue flag).

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The city of PyeongChang in Gangwon Province, South Korea is bidding to host the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2018. The city's bid is managed by the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Bid Committee, a non-profit organisation that was established on 14 September 2009. The Chairman and CEO of the Bid Committee is Yang Ho Cho, who is also Chairman of Korean Air. Additional members of the PyeongChang 2018 Bid Committee include representatives from all levels of national and local government, the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC), the Korean Paralympic Committee (KPC), winter sports athletes and para-athletes, and private businesses. The election of the Host City of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games will take place during the 123rd International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Durban, South Africa on 6 July 2011.

For further information about PyeongChang's bid to host the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, please visit http://www.pyeongchang2018.org

For further information:

Sujit Jasani

sjasani@verocom.co.uk

M: +44.794.037.5282

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Keywords · PyeongChang 2018 bid · Olympic bids · Yangho Cho · Youngjo Hwang · Hope Marathon · athletics

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Name: Sujit Jasani
Organization: PyeongChang 2018
Email:
Phone: +44.794.037.5282
URL: http://www.pyeongchang2018.org

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