On the first official day of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission’s inspection of PyeongChang 2014 the 16 members of the Commission were given presentations on 12 of the 17 prescribed themes at the Dragon Valley Hotel at PyeongChang’s YongPyong Resort.
In a welcoming message President Roh Moo-hyun, currently traveling in Europe, said in a video, “the citizens of Korea have a very strong and special interest in the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The 1988 Seoul Olympic and Paralympic Games, which contributed to ending the cold war, are still a proud memory for our people. We hope that the ideals of the Olympic Movement, peace and harmony, will further develop at PyeongChang in Korea”.
The 12 themes presented Wednesday included Sport and Venues, Paralympic Games, Olympic Villages, Environment and Meterology, Transport, Accommodation, Technology, Media Operations, Security, Medical Services and Doping Control, Political and Economic Climate and Structure. The five remaining themes are to be presented Friday morning.
Among the themes presented the IOC Evaluation Commission showed interest in the Olympic legacy. They queried the bid committee on how they plan to manage the legacy such as the venue and Olympic Village and if there is any plan to raise a fund after the 2014 Games.
The team also showed interest in who will manage facilities among the central government, regional government and local government and effect on the economy.
Yonhap News reports Gangwon governor Kim Jin-sun saying that most members of the IOC delegation reacted positively to the presentation.
He told reporters, “the mood was amiable and positive to our presentation. We fully answered the questions raised by them”.
He added, “some of the delegation members said in the Q&A session that they were deeply impressed by PyeongChang’s effort to make the 2014 Winter Olympics a time of peace and harmony”.
Under the motto “Peace and Harmony” the bid committee is saying the 2014 Games would promote peace on the peninsula and throughout the world with the help of the North.
Han Seung-soo, chairman of the bid committee, said in his opening speech that the agreement in Beijing would work in favour of Pyeongchang’s efforts to host the winter Games.
Rocky Yoon, secretary general of the bid committee, said the technology presentation received the most satisfying feedback.
He said, “I think we got a perfect score on the presentation of technology. As a city of the most advanced country in information technology we presented our plan to make it the ‘Ubiquitous Olympics’ providing concrete high-end technologies to realize it. Many of the delegation members seemed impressed by that”.
The evaluation commission will begin their onsite inspections of ski, snowboard and ski jump venues in theYongPyong Resort, Jeongseon and Bokwang Phoenix Park in the PyeongChang region on Thursday.
Fifteen thousand flags and 2,104 balloons will be displayed throughout Jungbong and 50 skiers will conduct a ski demonstration at the Alpine Ski Venue.
Friday the commission will move to Gangneung, the venue for ice sports. In a show of support residents will be wearing the traditional clothing of each IOC member’s country on the route to Gangneung.
Saturday the commission will end its visit and more than 5,000 people are expected to participate in creating a human belt 2014 metres long stretching from YongPyong Resort to the Hyeonggye Interchange.
Meanwhile the 2007 Dream Program is now entering its second and final week in PyeongChang. One hundred and forty three young athletes from 33 countries are participating this year and are being trained in snows sports like alpine skiing and snow boarding at YongPyong Resort as well as ice sports including speed, short track and figure skating in the Gangneung Ice Rink.
