IOC Inspectors Seek PyeongChang 2018 Assurances -- On the Scene

(ATR) Pressure is on the shoulders of PyeongChang 2018 president Yang Ho Cho as the fourth IOC Coordination Commission opens.

Led by chair Gunilla Lindberg, the 13-member commission is in Gangneung and PyeongChang, March 17-19.

Tuesday’s agenda began with an inspection visit to the dusty construction site of the future Olympic figure skating venue, the Gangneung Ice Arena. Also planned on day one are trips to the nearby ice hockey and speed skating venues, the media and Olympic village sites in Alpensia and the future bobsleigh and luge track.

Cho has assured IOC inspectors that all test events beginning in 2016 will go off as scheduled, despite doubts and candid remarks from International Ski Federation president Gian Franco Kasper in February.

On Monday, Cho and 2018 organisers announced the formation of the PyeongChang Winter Series Foundation. Working closely with Korea’s national federations, it aims to ensure that 28 test events are successfully delivered.

"It’s a very good step forward," Lindberg said of the new Winter Series Foundation. "It’s a good combination of the expertise of the national federations and also with the government and representatives."

The PyeongChang 2018 president and members of the organizing committee will try to allay IOC concerns while touring venues and during a plenary session at the Lakai Sandpine Resort on the shores of the Japanese Sea.

"We will follow up with all issues of the organizations – a lot of things are happening three years before the Games," Lindberg tells Around the Rings at the Gangneung Ice Arena site. "We will have presentations on finances, legacy, budget, marketing and all the sports venues.

"I think after these three days we will have good information," said Lindberg, who is serving on her sixth IOC coordination commission.

International Skating Union (ISU) president Ottavio Cinquanta interjected during PyeongChang venue tour manager Myungwon Lee’s opening presentation at the skating site, peppering him with questions about construction progress and related logistics."I just wanted to make sure everything is in order – they are progressing very well," Cinquanta said.

"I pointed out this morning that we have a list of test events and they are important to make sure that the arenas and venues are ok and the officials know what to do," said Cinquanta, who has been ISU president since 1994.

Kasper’s comments came on the sidelines of the World Alpine Ski Championships in Colorado, where he told Reuters that recent changes in the plans for some venues "make test events almost impossible next year, particularly the alpine". The ski federation chief and five-time coordination commission member was referring to Alpine speed races at the Jeongseon Alpine Center and freestyle skiing and snowboard world cup events at the BokwangSnow Park, both slated for February 2016.

Test events at the Gangneung Ice Arena include the ISU Short Track Speed Skating World Cup in December 2016 and the ISU Figure Skating Four Continents Championship in February 2017.

"So far there are no problems, so I am satiisfied," Cinquanta said, looking across at the construction of the future skating venue.

"This is very important for them," Cinquanta said of the skating test events. "We have selected important competitions for the ISU because we understand that they have to have good competitions to make some money and promote."

PyeongChang 2018 communications chief Muchol Shin advised that there is substantial domestic interest in the Games and in this week’s IOC visit with just under three years to go.

"PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games have more than 90-percent support from the whole nation," Shin said at the figure skating site. "All Korean people have interest in the progress so that is why there are so many media members here today."

"Korea is such a small country but there is a lot of media and there is a high level of competition to get the scoop or have exclusive stories," Shin added.

Members of the IOC co-comm in South Korea include chair Lindberg, Cinquanta, Kasper, Prince Frederik of Denmark, Rene Fasel, Barry Maister, Adam Pengilly, Angela Ruggiero, Tsunekazu Takeda, Zaiqing Yu, Tatiana Dobrokhvalova, Edgar Grospiron, and Todd Nicholson.

On Wednesday, PyeongChang 2018 is expected to announce a new corporate sponsor.

Reported by Brian Pinelli in PyeongChang

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