Seoul (dpa) - The organizing committee of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, POCOG, has for the time being dismissed suggestions to move events abroad for financial and sustainability reasons.
"All competition events will be held in (South) Korea
as planned," POCOG said in a statement issued on Friday.
The International Olympic Committee had told POCOG at its recent meetings in Monte Carlo it could move the sliding events to an existing track in Asia, Europe or North America in order to avoid building a costly track which may not be properly used afterwards.
Holding Olympic events outside a host city or country was made possible Monday when the IOC Session approved a reform package which included such options.
But the Koreans said that construction has started and that the facility for bob, luge and skeleton will be important to develop local talent.
POCOG president Cho Yang Ho said in the statement that while being supportive of the IOC changes "it will be difficult to apply those recommendations to our plans at this stage, given that construction for all competition venues is already in progress.
"We will study the options once we receive more detailed information from the IOC, but for now it is our wish to have all events staged in Pyeongchang, Gangneung and Jeongseon as per our original bid plan accepted by the IOC.
"We do not have much time, considering test events beginning in February 2016. We are developing solid legacy plans for post-Games use of the venues, as well as measures to control costs, and will continue to work on Games preparations in close cooperation with the IOC," he said.
The governor of the Kangwon province where the Games are held, Choi Moon Soon, had also rejected the IOC recommendation earlier in the week.
Pyeongchang organizers are facing financial constraints and would save around 120 million dollars if they stopped construction of the sliding track, of which so far only around 100 metres are reportedly completed. Maintaining the track is said to cost 3.5 million dollars per year.
"All competition events will be held in (South) Korea
as planned," POCOG said in a statement issued on Friday.
The International Olympic Committee had told POCOG at its recent meetings in Monte Carlo it could move the sliding events to an existing track in Asia, Europe or North America in order to avoid building a costly track which may not be properly used afterwards.
Holding Olympic events outside a host city or country was made possible Monday when the IOC Session approved a reform package which included such options.
But the Koreans said that construction has started and that the facility for bob, luge and skeleton will be important to develop local talent.
POCOG president Cho Yang Ho said in the statement that while being supportive of the IOC changes "it will be difficult to apply those recommendations to our plans at this stage, given that construction for all competition venues is already in progress.
"We will study the options once we receive more detailed information from the IOC, but for now it is our wish to have all events staged in Pyeongchang, Gangneung and Jeongseon as per our original bid plan accepted by the IOC.
"We do not have much time, considering test events beginning in February 2016. We are developing solid legacy plans for post-Games use of the venues, as well as measures to control costs, and will continue to work on Games preparations in close cooperation with the IOC," he said.
The governor of the Kangwon province where the Games are held, Choi Moon Soon, had also rejected the IOC recommendation earlier in the week.
Pyeongchang organizers are facing financial constraints and would save around 120 million dollars if they stopped construction of the sliding track, of which so far only around 100 metres are reportedly completed. Maintaining the track is said to cost 3.5 million dollars per year.
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