Pyeongchang released its 2010 Olympic bid book to the media yesterday which included letters of support from the Korean president Kim Dae-jung and the President-elect Roh Moo-hyun, and the promise of a ‘green’, environmentally friendly Games.
Each 423-page document was elaborately presented in a wooden box shaped like a traditional Korean gate with a metal plate engraved with the words “PyeongChang 2010”. The added effect shows that Pyeongchang is pulling out the stops in order to make an impression in a race that has Salzburg and Vancouver as frontrunners. In the Bid City Manual, the IOC requested that the bid book be paper only with a “simple, moderate cost” presentation.
A bid spokesperson explained “we are planning to promote the Olympic Winter Games by building global camps where international young athletes experience winter sports and diverse cultures”. Accordingly, the bid book includes details of youth ski camps with US$2-3 million budgeting annually and international youth camp programs which accommodate 500 to 700 participants costing US$1 million.
The bid projects organizing expenditures of US$682 million and a surplus of US$20 million after US$702 million of revenues. Infrastructure costs that are not part of the committee’s budget and are already planned by the government total over US$2.8 billion and include airports, railroads and roads. An additional US$576 million will be spent on Olympic-specific projects such as venues and the Olympic village and will be funded by both the private and public sectors. Ticket prices are as low as US$5 for “3rd class” tickets ranging to as high as US$700 for prime tickets such as the opening ceremonies. The average ticket price for popular events is about US$100.
The bid book reports a November 2002 public opinion poll administered by a pollster in the U.K. that says 93.9% of Pyeongchang residents support the bid while 86.4% support it nationally. The bid book also lists past major sports event experiences of the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
Pyeongchang now gears up for the international phase of the campaign and prepares for the IOC Evaluation Committee expected February 14 to 17.
You can view the entire contents of the bid book at www.Pyeongchang2010.com.
