PyeongChang bid chief calls for maintaining vigilance

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, May 19 (Yonhap) -- The head of the Olympic bid committee for the South Korean alpine town of PyeongChang said Thursday that he will not lower his guard until the final announcement of the host city for the 2018 Winter Games, with the decisive vote less than two months away. "PyeongChang received a favorable evaluation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) members at the technical briefing here, but we should not be too complacent," said Cho Yang-ho, chairman of the bid committee and Hanjin Group, after the two-day IOC event in Lausanne, Switzerland. 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 on Wednesday. PyeongChang's briefing drew positive responses from the IOC members with its plan to promote a compact and athlete-friendly venue and to build a new legacy for winter sports in Asia. The South Korean town, located about 180 kilometers east of Seoul, is competing against two other candidate cities, Germany's Munich and France's Annecy. "The race is not over yet. The rival cities are not easy to beat," he said. "We have to do our best until July 6 in a modest way." The host city is scheduled to be chosen at the IOC General Assembly in Durban, South Africa, on July 6. Cho also stressed that a Winter Olympics in Asia will open a "new horizon" on the continent to encourage countries to build quality facilities and to pick out talented young athletes. "Asia deserves to host the Games in order to build the 'Olympic legacy' that the IOC focuses on," Cho said. Asia has only hosted the Winter Olympics twice, both times in Japan, and the level of the continent's winter sports lags far behind Europe, he added. Cho said Olympic gold medalist Kim Yu-na played a significant role in highlighting the nation's bid before the IOC voters. "Her presentation was good, and her modest, polite attitude also appealed to IOC members," he said. "Kim will make a presentation on the voting day, too. She will be a big help." Cho said that he will make his last pitch in the remaining months and hopes to produce a pleasing result.