Paralympic Debutants Ready for Games -- PyeongChang Roundup

(ATR) Three countries, including North Korea, will be making Paralympic debuts when the Games open in two days.

Georgia, North Korea, and Tajikistan are set for an inaugural Paralympic appearance in PyeongChang. The 2018 Winter Paralympics will bring to a close the first of three Games in Asia. Six sports and 80 medal events will feature in the nine-day event.

More than 570 athletes will compete in PyeongChang, a slight increase to the Sochi Games. The total includes 30 Russian athletes who will be registered as Neutral Paralympic Athletes. The Russian Paralympic Committee has been suspended by the International Paralympic Committee since August 2016 for violating the IPC’s anti-doping code.

PyeongChang 2018 says the Games will operate under the theme of "new horizons" and accessibility challenges have been the focus of final preparations. All athletes will stay at the PyeongChang Village, where 49 percent of the apartments built are wheelchair accessible.

"PyeongChang 2018 is ready to inspire, educate and excite the world. We have the world’s best athletes, world class facilities, and thousands of spectators filled with passion who are ready to witness sporting greatness on the snow and ice," Hee-Beom Lee, PyeongChang 2018 President, said in a statement. "It is going to be a wonderful 10 days that we will never forget."

U.S. Selects Flagbearer

Snowboarder Mike Schultz will carry the United States flag into the opening ceremony for the 2018 Paralympic Games.

Schultz joined the para-snowboard team in 2015 following an accident in 2008 that left one of his legs amputated. According to a release from USA Paralympics, Schultz also has designed a prosthetic leg used by other competitors on the team.

"To me, there’s two symbols for Team USA: the national anthem and the American flag," Schultz said in a statement. "To be on the world stage carrying our flag and representing the U.S. Paralympic Team is a huge honor. I’ll be trying my hardest to hold back the tears during the Opening Ceremony."

Bobsled Coach Lambasts Missed PyeongChang Legacy

The head coach for South Korea’s bobsleigh and skeleton team told local media that increased government support is not coming after the 2018 Olympics.

South Korean won its first ever sliding medals at the 2018 Winter Olympics, a skeleton men’s gold and men’s four-man bobsleigh silver.

Yong Lee, the team’s head coach, held a press briefing to blast the South Korean government for not increasing support after a successful Winter Olympics. Outside of monetary support, Lee said that the government won’t grant the team access to the Alpensia sliding center, since an operator has yet to be found, according to Yonhap.

The Korea Sports & Olympic Committee also disbanded the national reserve team for bobsleigh, citing lack of registered athletes, Lee said.

PyeongChang 2018 and IOC officials repeatedly said during the Games that the 2018 Winter Olympics would be a catalyst to spur winter sports and tourism in South Korea.

"The country must know to what and why we devoted ourselves at the Olympics," Lee said, according to Yonhap. ""All of us worked hard together, but no one knows the people who contributed behind the scenes."

Lee Thanks Olympic Journalists

PyeongChang 2018 President Hee-Beom Lee says "thank you for your support" to all journalists who covered the Olympics.

"There were certainly many ups and downs over the years but we are very pleased that we have received positive feedback from everyone following the closing of the Games," Lee said in a message to the Olympic press corps. "It is our wish that everyone went home with fond memories of their stay in our country. And if there is anything that you remember, it is that Korea can host a great competition and that we have a unique culture that you want to tell your friends and colleagues about in your home country."

Lee said that he wishes all of the foreign journalists who came for the Games would quickly return to Korea. He extended his thank you to the journalists who are on a quick turnaround needed to cover the 2018 Paralympics.

"From the bottom of my heart, thank you again for sharing our amazing journey."

Written by Aaron Bauer

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