The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games
Contact – pressoffice@pyeongchang2018.com / Tel +82.33.350.4346
www.pyeongchang2018.com
With six months to go…
Here’s the key PyeongChang info you should know!
PyeongChang 2018 Overview
Games Period:
- Olympic Winter Games: 9-25, February 2018 (17 days)
- Paralympic Winter Games: 9-18, March 2018 (10 days)
Vision: New Horizons
Slogan:
Emblem
Mascot
Olympics
Paralympics
Olympics
Paralympics
1. Record breaking Winter Games to date
Olympic Games will have 102 events across 15 disciplines in 7 sports.
Paralympic Games will have 80 events across 6 disciplines in 6 sports.
New Sports: Snowboard Big Air (men, women), Curling Mixed Doubles, Speed Skating
Mass Start (men, women), and Alpine Skiing Nation Team Event
With this, PyeongChang 2018 will not only stage the greatest number of women’s
and mixed events in the history of Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
2. The most compact Winter Games
Venues are in two clusters (Mountain and Coastal) and are within a 30-minute driving
distance from the Olympic Plaza. 90% of athletes can get to their competition venue
from their accommodation within 10 minutes. This proximity and accessibility will make
the Games truly athlete centred which is a main aim of PyeongChang.
3. A Global Sporting Nation
The Republic of Korea will be the 5th nation in the world to ever have hosted all four
major sporting events: Summer and Winter Olympic/Paralympic Games, FIFA World
Cup and the IAAF World Championships in Athletics. This shows our calibre as
international event hosts and puts Korea firmly on the world map of sports.
The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games
Contact – pressoffice@pyeongchang2018.com / Tel +82.33.350.4346
www.pyeongchang2018.com
4. ICT (Information Communications Technology) – moving the Games forward
PyeongChang 2018 will introduce 5G, cutting-edge holograms, personalized IoT
services and other exciting innovations that have never been seen at a Games before.
Boasting the world’s fastest internet speeds, PyeongChang 2018 will provide
customised services to meet individual needs and enhance convenience.
5. Venues will be ready on time and ready to leave a lasting legacy
Of the 12 competition venues, six are newly built showing the average construction
rate of 97% as of August 2017. Nine of the 12 venues already have legacy plans in
place, and the other three will be finalised by the end of 2017. The six existing Games
venues have been used for many years and are well equipped to host the world’s top
athletes next year.
6. Construction of high-speed railway brings PyeongChang closer to the world
The railway construction was completed this June and will open to the public in
December 2017 after commissioning which will reduce the time between Seoul and
PyeongChang from three hours to an hour and Incheon International Airport and
PyeongChang from 3.5 hours to 98 minutes. The infrastructure developments will
leave a lasting legacy for the Games and the Province which will lead to the growth of
tourism and winter sports in the region.
7. Successful Test Event Series completed
PyeongChang 2018 has successfully delivered 25 Test Events across Olympic and
Paralympic disciplines with more than 5,064 athletes and officials from 45 countries
taking part. Athletes and coaches have praised POCOG for the operations and field of
play.
8. The Games of Culture
PyeongChang 2018 will promote culture and tourism to leave a legacy beyond winter
sports. Alongside the competition, spectators can look forward to a packed program of
events at live sites and other hubs across Gangwon province. The Cultural Olympiad
will include daily festivals at each venue that can be enjoyed by visitors around the
world.
9. Sustainable both financially and environmentally
For the first time in the history of the Winter Games, PyeongChang 2018 has been
awarded the ISO20121 – an international recognition around sustainability and
positive impacts on the local environment. To ensure a positive impact on the local
economy, PyeongChang 2018 is also working to demonstrate financial balance and
work with its generous partners, sponsors and suppliers to help achieve that.
The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games
Contact – pressoffice@pyeongchang2018.com / Tel +82.33.350.4346
www.pyeongchang2018.com
10. Peace and Unity at PyeongChang
Korea is ready to welcome everyone to PyeongChang and will offer a safe and secure
environment for the Games to take place. Sport goes beyond politics and is
incredibly powerful – it can and will unite people from different cultures, religions, and
race.
11. Continued Olympic legacy from the Summer Games in 1988
Following the huge success of the Summer Olympic Games of 1988, PyeongChang
2018 wants to welcome the world once again to the land of the morning calm. Korea
became recognised politically, economically and socially after the success 1988
Games as it reached a global audience for the first time. PyeongChang will not only
build on what was created thirty years ago but also show the world and the next
generation how the country has developed and all it has to offer.
12. PyeongChang 2018 heralds the start of the Olympic/Paralympic wave in Asia
Korea will host the first of three Games to be held in Asia (PyeongChang 2018, Tokyo
2020 and Beijing 2022) and signals the start of a global sporting shift to this region and
a chance to showcase Korea and Asia as a hub for winter sports specifically. Aside from
the growth in winter sports, it is also an opportunity to showcase Korea in a new way to
the younger generation through technology and media platforms.
13. Extremely competitive volunteer selections with an acceptance rate of 4:1
More than 91,000 applicants for 20,389 volunteer positions. From the total number of
applications, 14% were from overseas. Aside from Russia’s high level of interest
(2,890), China (1,345) and the United States (1,158) were the next in line to show their
support of the Games to be part of this fantastic experience.
14. Olympic Flame will land in Korea on 100 days to go – November 1st!
The Olympic Flame will land in Incheon, Korea on November 1st which also marks
100 days to go until the start of the Olympic Winter Games. A total of 7,500
torchbearers will carry the Olympic Flame around 17 cities nationwide on a route that is
exactly 2,018 km. The selection process for torchbearers is going on right now.
15. Plenty of Passion for the Paralympic Winter Games
With around 650 athletes competing in 80 events, the Paralympic Winter Games is
another opportunity to watch world-class sporting heroes realise their life-long dreams.
As Seoul 1988 made history by first staging both Paralympic and Olympic Games in the
same city, PyeongChang 2018 aims to leave its mark and become a catalyst to drive
more participation across the country to create more local champions for Para-
sports.
The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games
Contact – pressoffice@pyeongchang2018.com / Tel +82.33.350.4346
www.pyeongchang2018.com
16. Mascots proving very popular around the country
The Olympic mascot is a white tiger named Soohorang who is a mythical white tiger
that will protect everyone at the Games, and the Paralympic mascot is an Asiatic
black bear named Bandabi who will give the spirit of resolution and strong will to
all the Paralympians.
17. Ticket Sales launched – get your tickets and share the passion
Olympic Ticket sales were launched on February 9th, 2017 while the Paralympic
Tickets sales will begin on August 21
st
2017. The most popular disciplines with fans
currently are figure-skating, and short-track. Everyone who comes to the Games will
enjoy a cultural and sporting experience within the venues and at the live sites. Ticketing
website: https://tickets.pyeongchang2018.com/
18. PyeongChang Ambassadors-World renowned athletes and celebrities get behind
the Games
The Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games have received overwhelming support
and backing from an impressive list of athletes, dignitaries, and entertainers, all keen
to share the passion of PyeongChang 2018. Notable names include the President of
the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in, Yuna Kim, Lindsey Vonn, Hines Ward, Sumi Jo
and Ji-Sung Park. https://www.pyeongchang2018.com/en/ambassadors
