PyeongChang holds successful presentation before IOC members

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, May 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's 2018 Winter Olympics bidder PyeongChang held a presentation for the members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), highlighting its advantages over rival cities, officials said. Officials of the PyeongChang bid committee and figure skating star Kim Yu-na presented the IOC with the country's bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics at the technical briefing held on Wednesday (local time) in Lausanne, Switzerland, after two other candidate cities, Germany's Munich and France's Annecy. Officials said that PyeongChang emphasized its compact, athlete-friendly venue and its plan to build a new legacy for winter sports in Asia. The continent has only hosted the Winter Olympics twice, both times in Japan. "We fully explained to the IOC members our vision and cause: that PyeongChang will open new horizons in Asia's winter sports," said bid committee chairman Cho Yang-ho after the 45-minute presentation. "More than 90 percent of local residents and the South Korean government strongly support the Winter Olympics. An Olympic Games in PyeongChang will create a winter sports boom in Asia." The Seoul government also reaffirmed its financial backing for PyeongChang's bid. "The South Korean government gives top priority to the Winter Olympics bid," said Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, who led the delegation. "If PyeongChang wins the right to host the Olympics, the government will guarantee the entire construction costs and invest US$500 million in promoting winter sports by 2018." Some IOC members gave praise to PyeongChang, saying that the city's bid has improved notably compared to its two previous attempts, according to officials. The South Korean alpine town, located about 180 kilometers east of Seoul, came up short in previous bids to host the Winter Games, losing to Vancouver, Canada, for the 2010 Winter Olympics and then to Sochi, Russia, for the 2014 Games. Olympic gold medalist Kim Yu-na received an ovation after giving a presentation on her Winter Olympics dream. "I felt nervous in the beginning. Many people said that I was good, so I'm happy now," said Kim, an honorary ambassador for PyeongChang's bid. She had prepared for the briefing for weeks after competing in the world figure skating championships in Moscow last month. The host country will be chosen at the IOC General Assembly in Durban, South Africa, on July 6.