South Korea woos evaluation team for Winter Olympics

Feb 16, 2011, 3:48 GMT

Seoul - An evaluation team of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday began its visit of South Korea's candidate site for the 2018 Winter Olympics, a report said.

The team, led by Swedish former IOC vice president Gunilla Lindberg, was greeted at the site by Park Yong Sun, chairman of the Korean Olympic Committee and Sports Minister Choung Byoung Gug.

South Korea has stressed the strengths of the Pyeongchang venue, about 180 kilometres north-east of Seoul, as being the 'most compact' candidate site, the Yonhaps News Agency reported.

Officials and former athletes would be giving several presentations to the visiting delegation, but details would not be revealed to the press until they leave on Sunday, the report said.

South Korea lost bids to host the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics to Canada and Russia, respectively. Officials have also pointed out that the games have only been held twice before in Asia, both times in Japan, Yonhap said.

President Lee Myung Bak met with the team on their arrival in the country Tuesday to lend his personal support for the bid.

The committee is to submit its evaluation to a final panel, which is due to make its final selection between South Korea and rivals France and Germany on July 6.

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