High Winds Cause Damage at Gangneung Olympic Park -- PyeongChang Update

(ATR) The effects of high winds at the Winter Games in PyeongChang had been limited to the mountains and some postponements of events.

But on Wednesday the problem spread to the coastal cluster, with the Gangneung Olympic Park being among the areas hardest hit.

POCOG spokesman Baik You Sung revealed at Thursday’s media briefing that 16 people had suffered minor injuries from flying or falling debris. Thirteen operational personnel and three spectators were all treated and sent home.

Sixty temporary facilities were damaged. Sung says 18 were taken down by the winds and 10 others were so severely damaged that crews removed them. The others were reinforced and stayed up.

Temporary steel fencing also collapsed. Six entrances to the Olympic Park needed attention as well.

On Wednesday afternoon, POCOG announced a temporary suspension of all activities in the common domain of the Olympic Park to "ensure the safety of all personnel".

Spectators were encouraged to stay indoors and general admission to the park was suspended for the rest of the day. Temporary structures were closed.

At the Media Village a few kilometers away, fences also collapsed and some of the tents housing security scanning equipment were shut down. Security was carried out through more traditional means.

One of the smaller restaurants housed in a temporary structure adjacent to where the Around the Ringsstaff are staying suffered damage and was closed today.

The winds began to die down on Wednesday evening and by Thursday morning had largely subsided.

Thursday dawned with clear skies and some of the warmest temperatures of the Games. The weather forecast calls for clear skies and seasonal temperatures through at least Feb. 17.

Bach Spends Night at Olympic Village

IOC President Thomas Bach met with the Olympic Athlete from Russia team on Wednesday evening at the Olympic Village before spending the night there. He ate breakfast at the Village with various athletes on Thursday morning.

Bach's schedule for Thursday includes the figure skating pairs event, where the North Korean pair of Tae Ok Ryom and Ju Sik Kim perform in the free skate. They were 11th after Wednesday's short program and finished 13th overall.

The German pair of Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot gave Bach plenty to cheer, as they took home the gold.

Later on, Bach is expected to take in some cross-country skiing.

Written by Gerard Farekin PyeongChang

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