IOC President Thomas Bach "defended the decisions to ban the Russian Olympic Committee" from PyeongChang 2018 over doping but allow Russian athletes to compete if they can show they are "clean." In an interview with German newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag, Bach "dismissed criticism that it was a decision by the IOC to appease Russian President Vladimir Putin" (SBS, 12/31).
The IOC approved the parade uniforms for "Olympic Athletes from Russia" who will compete at the PyeongChang Games. The uniforms will be produced by Russian clothing company Zasport (RT, 12/29).
The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee announced Japanese newspaper groups The Sankei Shimbun and The Hokkaido Shimpun Press as Tokyo 2020 official supporters, the third domestic tier of the Games' sponsorship program. Their addition brings the total number of domestic partners to 46 (IPC).
Tokyo is "stepping up efforts to revitalize water transportation in the capital" to respond to an "expected rise in traffic" during the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. The metropolitan government "has been conducting a series of social experiments" since fiscal '15 "aimed at resuscitating water transportation routes" (KYODO, 12/31).
Korean Air Lines Co. said Monday that it will operate transfer flights between Incheon Int'l Airport and Yangyang to "better support this year's Winter Olympic Games." Yangyang is the closest airport to PyeongChang and other venues located around the alpine town, as well as the city of Gangneung, which "will play host to various ice skating events" (YONHAP, 1/1).
