ID :
193366
Wed, 07/06/2011 - 20:00
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https://oananews.org//node/193366
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Successful Olympic bid to boost South Korea's winter sports
SEOUL, July 7 (Yonhap) -- PyeongChang's successful bid to stage the 2018 Winter Olympics is likely to give a big boost to South Korea's winter sports, sports officials said Thursday.
South Korea has emerged as a winter sports powerhouse in Asia in recent decades as it finished within the top 10 in the medal standings for the five previous Winter Olympics.
Seoul's rise culminated in the Vancouver Olympics last year when figure skater Kim Yu-na enchanted the world with her flawless performances and became the first South Korean to win a gold medal in that sport at a Winter Olympic Games.
Top speed skaters also won their first medals, helping South Korea finish in fifth place in the medal standings.
South Korea's achievements made the Asian country a global skating powerhouse. Previously, South Korea had collected most of its winter sports medals from short-track speed skating.
Still, South Korea remains on the fringes of global winter sports in terms of skiing, snowboarding, sled sports and other non-skating events.
Skaters have training centers in Seoul, but athletes in other winter sports have suffered from a lack of training facilities. This is partly to blame for their lackluster performances during international winter competitions, leading to public indifference, sports officials.
PyeongChang's successful bid could accelerate the creation of quality sports infrastructure in the alpine city, which would provide athletes with adequate training facilities. The bid also is likely to raise public interest in winter sports.
PyeongChang's Winter Olympics is also likely to serve as a stepping stone for South Korea to become a real winter sports powerhouse away from its heavy reliance on skating, sports officials said.
"The Olympics will help upgrade South Korea's winter sports and have positive effects," said Choi Jong-jun, secretary general of the Korea Olympic Committee, the nation's top sports governing body.
South Korea has emerged as a winter sports powerhouse in Asia in recent decades as it finished within the top 10 in the medal standings for the five previous Winter Olympics.
Seoul's rise culminated in the Vancouver Olympics last year when figure skater Kim Yu-na enchanted the world with her flawless performances and became the first South Korean to win a gold medal in that sport at a Winter Olympic Games.
Top speed skaters also won their first medals, helping South Korea finish in fifth place in the medal standings.
South Korea's achievements made the Asian country a global skating powerhouse. Previously, South Korea had collected most of its winter sports medals from short-track speed skating.
Still, South Korea remains on the fringes of global winter sports in terms of skiing, snowboarding, sled sports and other non-skating events.
Skaters have training centers in Seoul, but athletes in other winter sports have suffered from a lack of training facilities. This is partly to blame for their lackluster performances during international winter competitions, leading to public indifference, sports officials.
PyeongChang's successful bid could accelerate the creation of quality sports infrastructure in the alpine city, which would provide athletes with adequate training facilities. The bid also is likely to raise public interest in winter sports.
PyeongChang's Winter Olympics is also likely to serve as a stepping stone for South Korea to become a real winter sports powerhouse away from its heavy reliance on skating, sports officials said.
"The Olympics will help upgrade South Korea's winter sports and have positive effects," said Choi Jong-jun, secretary general of the Korea Olympic Committee, the nation's top sports governing body.
