(ATR) Around the Rings has learned that the leaders of the next three OIympics in Asia will hold a special summit during the Rio Games.
The IOC is organizing a meeting between PyeongChang 2018 president Hee Beom Lee and his Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 counterparts Yoshiro Mori and Guo Jinlong on the sidelines of the Olympics.
The new PyeongChang 2018 chief revealed the plan to ATR in an exclusive interview in Lausanne.
Lee and IOC president Thomas Bach hatched plans for the meeting at a dinner in the Olympic capital last week ahead of the Korean Olympic chief’s first presentation to the IOC executive board since succeeding Yang Ho Cho.
"We had many discussions about budget issues and cooperation among three countries including China, Japan and Korea," Lee told ATR.
"I proposed to have an Olympic presidents’ forum… Beijing, PyeongChang, Tokyo. We will have three [Olympic] presidents meeting in Rio organized by the IOC."
With less than 18 months until the PyeongChang Games, Lee believes the meeting can help to accelerate preparations and improve his knowledge of Olympic organization. The former Korean economics minister has not held any position in sport, raising questions about his suitability to lead Korean Olympic organizers to the finish line in February 2018.
"There will be many synergies, exchanging information, exchanging knowhow and also about facilities," Lee said of the meeting.
"Definitely, definitely," he said when asked if the summit with Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 leaders can help PyeongChang 2018 preparations.
It was Lee’s first official trip to Lausanne in his capacity as head of the 2018 Games organizing committee. He has been to the city before as a tourist, he said, and many times to Geneva in his former role as a Korean politician.
The IOC president and his board were happy with his appointment. Coordination commission chair said last month that the 2018 Olympics would benefit from Lee’s "vast experience in sectors like business, finance and government relations".
"I think we did a good job," he told ATR, saying that the accommodation plan and mascots were approved.
"Gunilla already reported very positively to Thomas and Thomas confirmed it," Lee said. "He expressed trust and full confidence towards myself. I feel good. It was very touching."
PyeongChang will have a total of 21,500 hotel rooms in the ski town and in Gangneung. They will accommodate Olympic client groups including athletes, media and the Olympic family. He said another 6,500 were set aside for POCOG and "additional need".
Asked for the IOC’s feedback to his update on PyeongChang’s progress, he said the executive board was "satisfied" with the status of preparations.
There was one notable question from the IOC’s ruling body about PyeongChang 2018.
"One member said ‘you should be the last one’ as I am the third president of POCOG," Lee said.
"They didn’t give me any time to respond. It was just a joke," he laughed.
Perhaps relieved after his first report, Lee said his meeting with the IOC left him in a "very good mood" heading back to Korea.
Reported by Mark Bisson
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