Eastern promise

Pyeongchang has failed in two previous bids to host the Olympics. Despite disappointments, organizers hope that enough lessons have been learned to make it third-time lucky.

The city's ski jump is a good example of a compact and efficient sports venue. It is just a part of a 50 million euro ($71 million) sports park that also includes facilities for cross-country skiing and biathlon.

Plans for the Games are already at an advanced stage in South Korea, though the country bid hasn't won - yet. A waterfall, which would be frozen and lit up, would form the centerpiece of an opening ceremony.

Some 50,000 spectators would be expected if Pyeongchang were chosen as the venue for the 2018 Games.

There are still issues to be resolved though, not least concerning the ski jump. The region's microclimate causes strong winds at around midday nearly every day that would interfere with the event.

"That will still be the case in 2018," said Kim Hyun-ki, one of the country's leading ski-jumpers, adding that some solution would be found. Jumping at night time - when winds are less of a problem - is a distinct possibility.

Lessons learned

The rest of the sports park appears to be ready for the Olympics, with the biathlon stadium particularly impressive. However, chaos did reign here during the Biathlon World Championships in 2009 - when there was no snow, a lack of spectators and organizational problems that caused some skiers to be led in the wrong direction.

"All of the criticism was justified," said Charm Lee, head of the Korean Tourist Organization, adding that organizers had learnt their lessons from those events.

Korea has also learned from its two failed Winter Olympic bids, in 2010 and 2014. "This time, everything has been done," said German-born Charm Lee, who also goes by the name Berhardt Quandt. Crucially, some 70 percent of sports venues have already been built.

Alpine inspiration

Looking down from the hills, you can see Alpensia Village. Charm Lee explains with a smile that this means "Asian Alps," although the local peaks have little in common with the Alps. Standing at relatively modest heights, these wooded hills are more reminiscent of the Black Forest.

The Koreans have built an elegant artificial town in the style of the Rocky Mountains on an old potato field. During the Games, this is where athletes, journalists and Olympic Committee officials would stay. From here, some 90 percent of the sportspeople will be able to reach their venues with 10 minutes, either on foot or by bus.

The bobsledders' quarters are almost directly below their ice run, which has yet to be built. Ski jumpers will also be close to their venue, as are slalom and giant slalom athletes. Only downhill and freestyle skiers and snowboarders face a journey of some 30 minutes to their events.

In addition to Alpensia, the popular coastal resort of Gangneung would also be the site of several events. Facilities for ice hockey, curling, figure-skating and speed-skating are to be built here along with another village for athletes.

Olympic legacies

As in other cities that have built facilities for the Olympics, some of the Games venues are proving useful already. This summer, for example, the Mountain Music Summer Festival is taking place in some of the newly-built stadia.

The bobsled run is expected to be integrated into a water sport park later on, with efforts made to keep environmental damage to a minimum by replanting surrounding trees.

Games organizers have pledged to rely on renewable energy, with surrounding mountains covered with wind power installations. Solar and geothermal sources of power are also in the planning stages.

The Pyeongchang Games appears convincing - at least on paper.

Author: Taufig Khalil / rc
Editor: Nancy Isenson