IOC President Thomas Bach arrived in South Korea on Thursday for a two-day visit to "inspect preparations" for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. Bach opened his visit by attending a dinner reception for a trilateral sports ministers' meeting between South Korea, Japan and China at a PyeongChang convention center, but he is "not expected to participate in discussions that will continue into Friday, according to an official from South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism" (AP, 9/22).
The Olympic, Paralympic and Japanese national flags were flown Wednesday "during a flag-raising ceremony for the Tokyo 2020 Games, hours after the arrival of the Paralympic flag from Rio de Janeiro." Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said, "I've just returned from Rio three hours ago with the Paralympic flag. Both flags have been passed over from Rio Mayor (Eduardo) Paes at the closing ceremonies, and it really feels like it's Tokyo's turn" (KYODO, 9/21).
Seven-time Paralympics Gold Medalist Alison Yu Chui-yee has appealed to the Hong Kong government "to provide more financial support for disabled athletes so they can aim for more glory at the next Paralympic Games" in Tokyo in '20. Wheelchair fencer Yu, one of the most successful Hong Kong Paralympians ever and a Silver Medalist in the women’s individual foil (category A) in Rio, "urged the government to set up a new funding category for full-time disabled athletes." Yu: "I think it's time to consider full-time financial support for disabled athletes so that we can improve our results at the Tokyo Paralympics" (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 9/21).
