The IOC yesterday awarded Pyeongchang, South Korea, the ’18 Games in a move that "reinforces the shifting of global sporting power away from the traditional European base to emerging and booming markets internationally,” according to Jacquelin Magnay of the London TELEGRAPH. IOC President Jacques Rogge said that the decision "would help open new winter sporting markets in Asia" (TELEGRAPH.co.uk, 7/6). In N.Y., Longman & Sang-Hun write the “most persuasive factor” in the city’s bid “may have been the chance to further expand the popularity of winter sports in a country that had not previously hosted the Winter Olympics.” Pyeongchang is “about 100 miles east of Seoul, the South Korean capital, which has a population of more than 10 million.” Pyeongchang’s bid leaders in a final pitch to IOC delegates yesterday “displayed a map showing that 19 of the previous 21 Winter Games had been held in Europe and North America, suggesting it was time to give Asia another chance.” Yesterday’s vote was “in keeping with recent attempts” by the IOC and FIFA “to bring the world’s biggest sporting events to places where they had not been previously held.” The '14 Winter Games will go to Russia “for the first time and the 2016 Summer Games will be held for the first time in South America, with Rio de Janeiro as host.” Longman & Sang-Hun note Pyeongchang’s budget “was far greater” than the competing bids from Annecy, France, and Munich, Germany -- $1.5B for the actual Games and $2-6B “for infrastructure projects” (N.Y. TIMES, 7/7).
WINNING BY A LANDSLIDE: Pyeongchang won the requisite majority in the first round with 63 votes, compared to 25 for Munich and seven for Annecy. In DC, Ben Birnbaum writes though the city was “widely seen as the frontrunner, the crushing margin surprised many.” Pyeongchang Bid Chair Cho Yang-ho said, “I had some confidence, but I did not expect this number, 63.” German Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach “accused Pyeongchang delegation of exploiting its past two losses” in its failed bids for the ’10 and ’14 Winter Games. Bach: “They were playing on this sympathy and compassion minute after minute” (WASHINGTON TIMES, 7/7). IOC President Jacques Rogge said, "I was surprised by the one-round victory. I was surprised by the margin. Definitely the patience and perseverance of the Koreans has been rewarded.” The AP’s Stephen Wilson noted “despite the elation, worries about South Korea’s northern neighbor likely will linger,” as Gangwon province “shares a tense border with North Korea” (AP, 7/6). Meanwhile, in DC, Amy Shipley notes Pyeongchang “relied heavily on the corporate support of Samsung, the emphatic backing of the South Korean government and its reputation for persistence.” Rogge: "I think there is maybe a lesson ... patience and perseverance have prevailed” (WASHINGTON POST, 7/7). In Boston, John Powers writes, “Pyeongchang simply had everything going for it. A compact bid with all of the venues within a 30-minute drive. Excellent infrastructure, including a planned high-speed train and an expanded highway from the capital. Near-unanimous public support. A favorable geopolitical rotation. And that greatest of all Korean virtues -- persistence.” Munich had a “rock-solid bid and a most glamorous chairwoman in Katarina Witt, the two-time Olympic figure skating champion.” Still, “everything pointed to the Far East this time, and if Pyeongchang had been passed over thrice, the IOC would have been accused of racism or corruption or both” (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/7).
CONSTRUCTION ZONE: Pyeongchang sports officials said that the city "will speed up its efforts to boost winter sports" in the country. In South Korea, Yi Whan-woo reports the nation "plans to complete building winter sports facilities in Gangwon Province by investing" US$507.6B. Six new facilities "are to be built, while seven existing ones will be used to the full" (KOREA TIMES, 7/7). Also in South Korea, Oh Kyu-wook reports Pyeongchang "has already completed building seven of the 13 required competition venues, including biathlon, cross country skiing and ski jumping slopes with a $1.5 billion investment." Six additional competition venues, including a new ice hockey stadium, an Alpine skiing venue and a bobsled facility "will be completed in [the] next few years" (KOREA HERALD, 7/7).
GEOGRAPHY LESSON: In Chicago, Philip Hersh notes in “going to Asia rather than returning to winter sports roots in Europe, the IOC members may have also impacted the 2020 Summer Games contest, for which Tokyo is likely to bid again.” While the IOC “insists there are not even unwritten rules about geographic rotation -- the 2004 Summer Games (Athens) and 2006 Winter Games (Turin, Italy) -- were in virtually neighboring European countries, it seems less likely that the members would vote for consecutive Games in Asia” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 7/7). Busan Mayor Hur Nam-sik announced today that the South Korean city “has decided not to bid” for the '20 Summer Olympics after the IOC's decision to award the '18 Winter Games to Pyeongchang “made it ‘impossible’ to win the hosting rights" (REUTERS, 7/7).
WHO’S ON DECK? The WALL STREET JOURNAL’s Gross & Ramstad note assuming the USOC and IOC can work out a new arrangement for sharing revenue from U.S. TV and sponsorship rights, Pyeongchang’s selection “sets up the U.S. well for a potential bid for the 2022 Winter Games.” The USOC has said that it “won’t bid until an agreement is in place” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/7). The Swiss Olympic Committee “believes South Korea’s win Wednesday will improve Europe’s chances of being the next host and says its executive committee will choose a preferred candidate on Aug. 11.” A joint bid from “the luxury mountain resorts of Davos and St. Moritz and a city-based candidacy in Geneva are on a shortlist of five options” (AP, 7/6). Quebec City “will decide by next week” if it is entering the race to host the ’22 Winter Games. Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume had said that the project “would be dealt a serious blow if Pyeongchang were chosen because a European city would more likely be favoured the next time around” (Montreal GAZETTE, 7/7).
