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JINCHEON (Yonhap News) ― The global Olympic chief on Friday acknowledged South Korea’s commitment to excellence in sports and praised the country’s preparations for the upcoming Winter Olympics.
Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, paid a visit to the Jincheon National Training Center, a national training ground for Olympic athletes located about 90 kilometers south of Seoul.
Addressing South Korean sports officials and athletes, Rogge said the facility, which opened in 2011, reflects “Korea’s commitment to elite sports for many years.”
“Korea has always upheld the values of the Olympic Movement through its commitment for sports for all and its efforts to promote Olympic values,” Rogge said.
Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, paid a visit to the Jincheon National Training Center, a national training ground for Olympic athletes located about 90 kilometers south of Seoul.
Addressing South Korean sports officials and athletes, Rogge said the facility, which opened in 2011, reflects “Korea’s commitment to elite sports for many years.”
“Korea has always upheld the values of the Olympic Movement through its commitment for sports for all and its efforts to promote Olympic values,” Rogge said.
“The results of this work were reflected in the performance of Korean athletes at the Olympic Games in London last year, with success you achieved in many different sports.”
Rogge arrived in South Korea Wednesday, when the IOC and the organizing committee for the 2018 Winter Olympics in the South Korean alpine town of PyeongChang signed a marketing agreement.
Rogge also paid tribute to South Korea’s earlier success in hosting multi-sports events and international sports conferences, and expressed confidence that PyeongChang will be a successful host.
“We’ve already seen the big progress you’ve made toward the staging of the Winter Games in 2018,” Rogge said.
“I congratulate on what has been achieved so far and I can say that I am very confident that your efforts will be rewarded in truly spectacular fashion.”
The Jincheon center opened in 2011 as South Korea’s second training site for Olympic athletes, after the Taeneung National Training Center in northern Seoul.
Currently, the Jincheon center houses facilities for swimming, rowing, athletics, tennis and shooting. Officials said the second phase of construction is under way, with facilities for cycling, speed skating, archery, weightlifting and badminton, among other sports, to be completed by 2017.
In welcoming the IOC president to Jincheon, Park Yong-sung, the head of the Korean Olympic Committee, said Rogge’s visit will motivate South Korean athletes “to train harder and have their Olympic dreams come true.”
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Articles by Korea Herald
