[Yonhap News Photo]
A senior International Olympic Committee member said Friday the biggest challenge facing PyeongChang, host of the 2018 Winter Games, is promoting the event across the world.
The IOC's Coordination Commission on PyeongChang, headed by Gunilla Lindberg, wrapped up its seventh visit Friday. Having held meetings with the officials of the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG) and toured venue construction sites, Lindberg said she and her team "were very pleased" with the progress they saw.
"There's no doubt the venues will be ready for upcoming test events," Lindberg said at a press conference held in PyeongChang, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul. She was referring to 26 Olympic test events in 20 sports scheduled between November and April, including snowboarding, short track speed skating, luge, figure skating and hockey.
"The test events will be a great opportunity to raise awareness and generate excitement for PyeongChang 2018 and to showcase the level of preparation," Lindberg added. "A successful Olympics will require a fast transition from planning to operation. We will engage more closely with key stakeholders."
The most crucial challenge, however, will be letting the world in on the South Korean host city, Lindberg said. "The biggest challenge at the moment is how to promote the Games over the world, because this is a small place," she said.
"It's not Rio de Janeiro and it's not London. We have to take action as soon as possible. We'll have a series of test events, and the athletes will be coming. We'll have major TV coverage and people will be aware of the Games in PyeongChang. The PyeongChang Games will be an opportunity for people from abroad to visit Korea and see winter sports here."
Lee Hee-beom, president of the POCOG, echoed Lindberg's sentiment.
"Of the numerous things that we have done so far and we still have left to do, the most important task is to encourage the people to support us and to participate in the Olympics," Lee said. "We have honorary ambassadors who are working to promote the PyeongChang Games domestically and internationally."
To help maximize the promotional effects, Lee said the POCOG has delayed the start of the ticket sales from this month to February next year. Lee said it will be timed to the one-year countdown to the Feb. 9-25 Games.
"We felt the start of the one-year countdown will help us get the most out of our marketing strategies," Lee said, adding that the POCOG took cues from Sochi's move prior to the 2014 Winter Games. "And we'll focus on preparing for the test events and raising people's interest in winter sports in the upcoming season."
(Yonhap)
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
