IOC President Heads to Asia

(ATR) IOC President Jacques Rogge will be on his way to China and Korea next week, including his first visit to 2018 Winter Olympics host PyeongChang.

Rogge stops first in Nanjing, China where he will inspect preparations for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

He flies to Korea on Jan. 30 for three days that will begin with the signing in Seoul of the marketing agreement covering the 2018 Games.

From there, he will travel to PyeongChang to see venues for the Winter Games. While there he is expected to attend events at the Special Olympics Winter World Games.

Rogge will be joined by Gunilla Lindberg, head of the IOC coordination commission for PyeongChang 2018.

"We will see the city and venues and get an update on progress," she says.

Also travelling with Rogge are IOC director general Christophe De Kepper, Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli and Sports Director Christophe Dubi.

Upon his return to Seoul on Feb. 1, Rogge is to meet with President-elect Geun Hye Park.

"It’s an official visit to greet the new president of the country," Lindberg tells ATR. Park takes office in February.

The Korean presidential election campaign at the end of 2012 slowed down the governmental decision-making process on PyeongChang 2018 projects, Lindberg says.

But she said the brief delay had no major impact on preparations that were well-advanced; the venues and Olympic Villages are already decided.

"We are pleased with the progress and that the government is now involved [again]," she said.

She revealed that PyeongChang 2018 will launch its new logo in the first half of 2013.

Reported by Mark Bisson

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