IOC Chief Inspects 2018 Olympic Progress; Ministers Agreement

(ATR) Thomas Bach has called for 2018 Winter Games organizers to "keep the enthusiasm, keep the energy" on a trip to PyeongChang to inspect preparations.

In a 15-minute speech at PyeongChang 2018’s new headquarters following the move from Seoul, Bach praised the swelling ranks of the organizing committee for their work to date, with little over 500 days to the Olympics.

Asked for his advice during at Q&A at the committee’s new offices, Bach urged Games staff to keep their focus. "Now, it is not planning. It is the implementing period. You will see your work in reality every day," he said, according to a 2018 spokeswoman.

Bach led a delegation of six IOC representatives, including coordination commission chair Gunilla Lindberg and Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi.

The IOC chief and his team also visited the mountain cluster and Gangneung coastal cluster, along with non-competition venues such as the IBC, Olympic Plaza and the Olympic Village.

"President Bach was very satisfied with the venue preparations.He repeatedly said ‘Great. Great. It is amazing here’," she told Around the Rings.

She said construction of six new venues for the 2018 Games was 88 percent complete as of today.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams told ATR that the venue tour showed "construction is very much on track for test events this winter".

PyeongChang 2018 president Lee Hee-beom met with Bach on the sidelines of the Rio Olympics last month and said he was "delighted" to meet him again to further discuss Olympic preparations.

During his two-day visit, Bach took part in a meeting of sports ministers from the next three Olympic hosts - Korea, Japan and China.

A declaration of cooperation called the 'PyeongChang Agreement' was signed Friday by the three ministers.

The 2018 Games spokeswoman told ATR that items covered in the agreement include "know-how sharing and transfer" as well as a "collective effort to boost excitement for the Games", cooperation on anti-doping controls, promotion of peace in East Asia and sports industry development.

The IOC Coordination Commission for Beijing 2022 heads to China in October, with the IOC's watchdog for Tokyo 2020 visiting Japan in November.

Written by Mark Bisson

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